The Minister of Health Dr Zweli Mkhize announced six more cases of the novel coronavirus on Wednesday, Mar. 11, 2020.

The number of people infected by Covid-19 – the disease caused by coronavirus – has jumped from seven to 13 in South Africa.

Of the six new cases, four are in Gauteng, one each in KwaZulu-Natal and Western Cape.

Gauteng

• A 33-year-old female who travelled to Italy and returned on 1 March.
• A couple – a 34-year-old male and 33-year-old female – who travelled to Germany. They returned to South Africa on 9 March.
• A 57-year-old male who travelled to Austria and Italy. He returned to South Africa on 9 March.

KwaZulu-Natal

• A 40-year-old male who travelled to Portugal. He returned on 7 March.

Western Cape 

• A 36-year-old male who travelled to multiple countries, including Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Turkey. He returned to South Africa on 9 March. 

Minister Mkhize further said:

“All the patients have now been advised. Those who are symptomatic have started receiving treatment. Some of these patients are already in hospital while some, specifically those who are asymptomatic, are in self-quarantine. Contact tracing has also started for all these cases.”

The media statement also stated that “3642 tests have been conducted” so far.

No Covid-19-related deaths have been recorded in SA. The death count shows 4, 300 globally. China, the country where the first incidents of coronavirus were reported late in Dec. 2019, leads the pack with over 3, 156.

Italy, the hardest hit country in Europe, is second on 631 deaths. In the Americas, the United States reported 31 deaths to date.

While China is recording a decline in the number of deaths, infections and an increase in the recovery cases, countries around the world are seeing a spike in death statistics and infection incidents of Covid-19.

In the mean time, the scramble for a cure rages on as there is no vaccine for the the contagious coronavirus disease at the moment.