Health Minister Dr Zweli Mkhize is expected engage the community of the Umngungundlovu District in KwaZulu-Natal on the Coronavirus.
“Following the announcement of the first COVID-19 confirmed case in Umngungundlovu District, KwaZulu Natal, the Minister of Heath, Dr Zweli Mkhize, will continue to engage the community of the District including religious leaders, business and civil society in an effort to allay fears, educate stakeholders and respond to questions,” said the Department of Health in a tweet.
Sunday’s engagement is set to get underway at 2pm at the Pietermaritzburg City Hall.
The Minister will be joined by MEC for Health Nomagugu Simelane-Zulu.
On Saturday, the Minister confirmed South Africa’s second case of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) after a Gauteng woman tested positive for the virus.
According to the department, the 39-year-old is a direct contact of the unnamed 38-year-old KwaZulu-Natal man who tested positive for Coronavirus earlier this week.
The two were part of a group of 10 people who had travelled to Italy.
The group arrived back in South Africa on 1 March 2020.
The National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) said the woman did not have symptoms related to COVID-19 when she arrived back in South Africa.
“As part of the contact tracing [process], the team took swabs and conducted laboratory tests which came out positive for COVID-19. The patient has been self-isolated at home and has now been admitted to the isolation facility. All other contacts are actively being followed up,” said the NICD.
Impact on tourism
Meanwhile Tourism Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi-Ngubane is expected to meet with the tourism industry on Monday. This is in light of the latest development around COVID-19.
“The focus of the engagement will be on the impact of COVID-19 to tourism and the recovery plan,” said the Ministry of Tourism.
Kubayi-Ngubane’s engagement is scheduled to start at 5pm at Sandton Sun Hotel in Johannesburg.
More educative information on the Coronavirus can be accessed on http://www.health.gov.za/index.php/outbreaks/145-corona-virus-outbreak/465-corona-virus-outbreak. - SAnews.gov.za
