President Cyril Ramaphosa will convene an urgent cabinet meeting on Sunday to “explore ways of intensifying the country’s response to this outbreak.”
This meeting comes a day after the Health Minister, Dr. Zweli Mkhize, announced that the number of confirmed cases of coronavirus in the country climbed to 38.
He said six new cases were recorded in the Western Cape, seven in Gauteng and one in Kwazulu Natal.
Minister Mkhize said all of those people had travelled to the UK, US, Germany, Netherlands, Italy, France, Switzerland, and Brazil.
“The patients have now been informed, all information has been verified and contact tracing is underway,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Minister said that they were “excited” at the return of a group of South Africans from Wuhan in China, said to be the epicentre of the coronavirus outbreak.
He said they had all settled in at the “Ranch Hotel” in Polokwane.
Mkhize said all protocols as identified by the SANDF and the Department of Health will be properly followed and implemented.
