Cyril Ramaphosa asked South Africans to stay calm after the first Coronavirus case in South Africa was reported on Thursday.
According to Mkhize, the emergency operations center immediately identified people who were in contact with the man.
Meanwhile, Ramaphosa asked South Africans on Thursday afternoon at the Waterkloof Air Force Base in Pretoria not to “panic” over the outbreak of the virus in South Africa.
Mkhize himself also pleaded that people should not spread fake news about the virus “which will cause unnecessary panic among our people”.
“We urge the public to work with us to limit the further spread of the virus.”
He also promised that the country’s fight and precautions against the virus, as well as the awareness campaigns on it, would now be switched to a higher gear.
“Our emergency operations center is now open 24 hours a day and people can call there day and night for help.”
Meanwhile, the World Health Organization said on Thursday that the spread of the virus is a major concern in countries such as South Africa with poorer health systems. “With early detection, these countries must have prevented the spread to save lives,” Dr. Spokeswoman Tarik Jašarevic said.
Mkhize added that 151 South Africans would soon be arriving from Wuhan, China, and that they would also be quarantined for 21 days.
