NICD update: No case of local Covid-19 transmission in the Free State, as first reported

Morning of 12 March: The Minister of Health, Dr Zweli Mkhize, announced in a statement on Thursday morning that a 32-year-old man who was in contact with a Chinese businessman tested positive for Covid-19 in the Free State.

“This is the first case of local transmission as all others have been by patients who had travelled abroad.”

Mkhize is expected to provide further details later today.

The National Institute for Communicable Diseases defines “close contact” outside of air travel and in a medical environment as follows: “A person having had face-to-face contact or was in a closed environment with a Covid-19 case; this includes, amongst others, all persons living in the same household as a Covid-19 case and people working closely in the same environment as a case.”

Daily Maverick asked Mkhize’s spokesperson, Dr Lwazi Manzi, why the Free State businessman’s nationality was important. She would not give any further details about the “Chinese businessman” or if he has been found but said the minister will address the issue at a press briefing they are scheduling for later in the day. “Please wait for the minister to make his pronouncements at the next press briefing. This aspect will surely be addressed,” she said.

A Cabinet meeting understood to discuss further measures to protect South Africa against the virus will also be held today.

“As the South African government, we take note of the announcement by the World Health Organisation Director-General that it has declared Covid-19 a pandemic.”

A pandemic is a worldwide spread of a new disease.

He said South Africa now has 17 confirmed cases of Covid-19, including the single case of local transmission. This is four more than the tally on Wednesday.

The new cases include one from Durban. The patient, 38, was visiting family from Turkey and had a travel history of a recent visit to the United Kingdom. He arrived in South Africa on 7 March.

Mpumalanga has registered its first positive case of Covid-19. A 27-year-old woman who recently travelled to the United States tested positive for the virus. She returned to South Africa on 7 March.

Another case was found in Gauteng. A man, 43, who recently travelled to New York via Dubai and returned to South Africa on 8 March, also tested positive for the virus.

Mkhize said all patients are in self-quarantine and have mild to moderate symptoms. They are also on symptomatic treatment.  

“Our tracing teams are now making a list and have started contacting individuals that have been identified as these patients’ contacts,” Mkhize said.

Meanwhile, Minister in the Presidency, Jackson Mthembu announced that a special Cabinet meeting on Covid-19 will be convened on Sunday, 15 March. 

“President Cyril Ramaphosa will soon update political parties represented in Parliament, as well as church leaders, on Covid-19. A special Cabinet on Covid-19 is being convened for this Sunday,” Mthembu said. 

Mthembu was speaking during a post-Cabinet briefing held in Parliament on Thursday 11 March. Mthembu commended the country’s response to the arrival of Covid-19 in South Africa.

“Cabinet commends the work done by the interministerial committee tasked to deal with Covid-19, led by the Minister of Health, and of course working with the NICD, in tracking and containing the virus, while also assisting those who affected by it and continuously updating the nation,” he said. DM

Additional reporting by Ayanda Mthethwa.