Last updated on September 11th, 2021 at 03:06 pm
South Africa is well prepared to handle the possibility of the China-originating Coronavirus reaching the country, Health Minister Zweli Mkhize reassured the nation on Wednesday.The minister said there had been no reported cases of the deadly virus in the country, which has so far killed over 130 people in China and elsewhere in world.
Mkhize cautioned against fake news during this period, saying the ministry would give regular updates on the Coronavirus.
He outlined the precautionary measures being taken by the government to detect any contact with the virus.
These special measures have been introduced at Johannesburg’s OR Tambo International Airport where travellers on direct aircraft from China are required to complete a questionnaire for possible contact tracing.
In addition, Mkhize announced his government was aware of at least 35 South Africans in Wuhan, the city from which Coronavirus originated in China.
The minister said the Chinese government had assured his office that South Africans in that country would be provided with medical care should the need arise.
South Africa was also working closely with Chinese officials through the WHO to track down the Coronavirus in the Africa region, he added.
Symptoms of the Coronavirus are fever and cough, with a few patients presenting with difficulty in breathing and bilateral infiltrates on chest X-rays, according to health workers.
