South Africa is no longer Coronavirus free

South Africa no longer Coronavirus free
coronav
Avatar of Juergen T Steinmetz

South Africans are assured that measures are in place to detect, manage and contain any cases of Novel Coronavirus should it come to our shores. So far, there are no suspected cases reported. This message is still on the website of the Department of Health, South Africa, however, the situation changed today.

The arrival of COVID-19 or Coronavirus in South Africa is coming as a shock for many, specifically for the travel and tourism industry. So far Africa was one of the Coronafree travel destinations, and with a case in South Africa and another one in Egypt and Algeria is changing the picture, even though cases are very isolated yet.

The first confirmed coronavirus victim has been revealed to be a 38-year-old father of two who had returned from Italy, where he was with a group of 10 people.South Africa Minister of Health, Dr Zweli Mkhize, said on Thursday that the man, whose identity is withheld but who is understood to be quarantined in Hilton, KwaZulu-Natal, arrived in the country at OR Tambo International Airportย  in Johannesburg on 1 March, then flew to Durban.He has been self-isolating since Tuesday.

According to the information provided by Mkhize to the National Assembly and at the subsequent media briefing, the following information is known about the person who has contracted the virus:

  • He is a 38-year-old male;
  • He is a South African citizen, residing in KwaZulu-Natal;
  • He is married, with two children, who are now in quarantine;
  • He was in a group of 10 people in Italy, presumably on holiday;
  • He arrived in South Africa at OR Tambo International Airport, and from there flew to Durban, on 1 March;
  • At the time he didn’t present with the coronavirus symptoms;
  • On 3 March the man consulted a private general practitioner, with symptoms of fever, headache, malaise, a sore throat and not much of a cough;
  • He has been self-isolating since 3 March.

Mkhize told MPs in the National Assembly on Thursday: “The patient was asked to stay on voluntary home quarantine, and now a whole team of our emergency operating center has gone to identify all the contacts, interviewing the patient and including the doctor.

“A tracer team has landed in KwaZulu-Natal, they’re with epidemiologists and clinicians from NICD. The doctor is also self-isolated, so we’ve actually descended on this particular case.

“We are now tracing the others who may have come back so we can start widening the net to reach out to all those who have been exposed and are at risk. We will be testing them as we have been doing in the past few weeks.”

Health authorities will track and test the persons who came in close contact with the patient, like people who sat in the rows in front and behind him on the plane.

There is no suggestion that the virus is spreading in KwaZulu-Natal.

The African Tourism Board is stressing cases in Africa are close to none, but on the other hand, urged countries to put all necessary precaution measures in action to stop the spread of the virus. ATB said to better be careful than sorry. Strict measures may be a challenge for the travel industry in the immediate term, but they will pay off in the long term.

About the author

Avatar of Juergen T Steinmetz

Juergen T Steinmetz

Juergen Thomas Steinmetz has continuously worked in the travel and tourism industry since he was a teenager in Germany (1977).
He founded eTurboNews in 1999 as the first online newsletter for the global travel tourism industry.

Share to...