Mon 19 October 2020:
South Africa’s health minister and his wife tested positive for the novel coronavirus as cases continued to surge in the country.
“I wish to inform the public that this afternoon my wife Dr. May Mkhize and I have tested positive for COVID-19,” Zweli Mkhize tweeted late Sunday.
The top health official said he tested for COVID-19 on Saturday after he started showing mild symptoms.
“I am now in quarantine at home and both my wife and I remain optimistic that we will fully recover from this virus,” he said.
He urged all South Africans to continue adhering to health protocols such as wearing face masks, keeping physical distancing, and washing or sanitizing hands.
“As a country, South Africa had made significant strides in the fight against the pandemic.
“Let us not dare regress. Whatever we do and wherever we go, we have to keep in mind that there remains a risk of a second wave. This virus only spreads through movement and contact of people. Therefore we must all play our part. We must protect ourselves and those we love.
“I will use this quarantine period to rest and recharge because our task to improve the health services of our country and the lives our people, even post-Covid-19, remains of paramount importance,” Mkhize said.
South Africa, which used to be among the top six most-affected countries in the world, is now the 12th most-affected with the highest number of cases on the continent.
The country recorded 1,662 new COVID-19 cases on Sunday, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 703,793 with 18,471 confirmed deaths. More than 600,000 people have recovered from the virus.
Over 4.5 million people have been tested for the virus since it was first detected in the country seven months ago.
Mkhize, who has been at the forefront of the fight against the pandemic, said he would use this quarantine period to rest and recharge as he hopes to come back energized to improve the health services of his country.
John Nkengasong, Director of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), wished Mkhize and wife a speedy recovery.
“We strongly support your appeal to all South Africans to not neglect public health measures,” he said Monday on Twitter.
