By News Desk
The South African Government has disclosed that first coronavirus case came from Italy via Dubai, United Arab Emirate (UAE) to the main airport in the eastern city of Durban
According to government, the 38-year-old Italian has been admitted to hospital after testing positive the day before his virus status was made known, arrived the country with his wife, part of a group of 10 people and returned on March 1.
South African health minister, Zweli Mkhize, while briefing media in Hilton, the eastern South African town where the man with the virus was admitted, added that there was currently no other South African coronavirus patient apart from the one reported already.
Reacting over the virus outbreak, President Cyril Ramaphosa had recently warned that the virus would hurt travel and tourism, and have a negative impact on South Africa’s already struggling economy, but urged citizens not to panic.
Since the coronavirus outbreak began in the central Chinese city of Wuhan in December, it has infected almost 100,000 people worldwide and killed more than 3,000, mostly in China.
It had largely spared sub-Saharan Africa, but since last month has been detected in Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa and on Friday the first case was reported in Cameroon.
Last week, Ramaphosa ordered the repatriation of nearly 200 citizens from Wuhan. Mkhize said none of those citizens, who are expected to return home in the next few days, had contracted the virus.
