WATCH LIVE: Health department to brief SA on coronavirus outbreak updates
There have been no reported or suspected cases of the virus in South Africa to date, according to the department.
People wear protective facemasks at the city’s commuter train station in Bangkok on January 28, 2020. Thailand has detected 14 cases so far of the novel coronavirus, a virus similar to the SARS pathogen, an outbreak which began in the Chinese city of Wuhan. (Photo by Romeo GACAD / AFP)
The National Department of Health announced late on Thursday that it would provide an update on the coronavirus outbreak at 07:00 on Friday.
The department said on Wednesday that response teams to the coronavirus outbreak had been activated in South Africa’s nine provinces, while a specialised team monitored the spread of the virus.
Health Minister Dr Zweli Mkhize said South Africa was adequately prepared for active surveillance, early detection, isolation, case management, contact tracing and prevention of the infection.
There have been no reported or suspected cases of the virus in South Africa to date, according to the department.
The coronavirus has been declared a global emergency by the World Health Organisation (WHO), as the outbreak continues to spread outside China, CNN reported.
“The main reason for this declaration is not what is happening in China but what is happening in other countries,” said WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
At least 213 people have died in China, and almost 10,000 cases of the virus have already been reported.
The WHO said there had been 98 cases in 18 other countries, but no deaths.
Watch the briefing live here:
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