SA should not panic about the country’s first coronavirus case – Ramaphosa

“South Africans should not panic” and need to be more prepared – this was the main message President Cyril Ramaphosa had for the country in his first chance to speak publicly since the country’s first case of coronavirus was confirmed on Thursday.

Speaking to a media contingent at Waterkloof Air Force Base, where he had just landed on Thursday afternoon, Ramaphosa stated he was the one who had instructed Health Minister Zweli Mkhize to make the announcement in parliament in order to get ahead of any misinformation and fake news.

The president also commended the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) for “acting capably and swiftly” and informing the minister, who then informed him.

He also expressed his satisfaction with the current processes the country had in place to identify, quarantine and treat the disease should more cases be confirmed.

The president promised that in the coming days government would demonstrate its seriousness in dealing with this matter.

On Thursday, the NICD confirmed South Africa’s first case of Covid-19.

“The patient is a 38-year-old male who travelled to Italy with his wife. They were part of a group of 10 people and they arrived back in South Africa on 1 March 2020,” said the department of health in a statement.

The patient has been self-isolating since consulting a private general practitioner on March 3 for his symptoms, which included fever, headache, malaise and a sore throat and cough. The practice nurse took swabs and delivered it to the lab. The couple also has two children.

The Emergency Operating Centre (EOC) has identified the contacts by interviewing the patient and doctor. The tracer team has been deployed to KwaZulu-Natal with epidemiologists and clinicians from the NICD. The doctor has been self-isolated as well.

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