S/Africa prepared to stop coronavirus – Minister

Last updated on September 11th, 2021 at 03:06 pm

South African Health Minister Zweli Mkhize on Sunday assured his compatriots that there was no need to panic over the coronavirus which has killed 57 people in China since it became known last week.Mkhize said there had been no cases of coronavirus to date in South Africa since the outbreak in the Asian country, and that his office had taken measures to prevent anyone entering the country with the malady.
“At entry points, largely from the airport, we have temperature screening system that will pick up any abnormal temperatures.
“We would like to reassure South Africans the risk is very limited — but we remain very much on alert,” the minister said.
The UN World Health Organisation said the coronavirus was not yet a global health emergency.
“WHO’s Emergency Committee on the new coronavirus considers that it is still too early to declare a public health emergency of international concern given its restrictive and binary nature,” the UN agency said.
So far, according to the Chinese health authorities, some 2,000 people have been infected by the coronavirus, killing 57 of the victims.
The coronavirus is said to have originated from the Chinese city of Wuhan, which is now under quarantine in efforts to stop its further spread to other parts of the country and beyond.
While Chinese authorities are battling to contain the virus, there have been seven reported cases: four in Thailand, one in Japan, one in South Korea and one in the US, the WHO said.