South Africa confirms first case of novel coronavirus

South Africa has just confirmed it's first Corona virus case after a 38 year old man who travelled to Italy tested positive, Health minister Zweli Mkhize said.


A tracer team has been sent to South Africa's Kwazulu-Natal province along with epidemiologists and clinicians from the National institute for communicable Diseases Mkhize said in a statement on Thursday.

The infected South African, who was part of a group of 10 people who travelled to Italy, returned home on March 1, went into self isolation on March 3 and is now being treated in the hospital.

It has taken more than two months for the virus to reach South African from mainland China, where it originated.