Coronavirus cases up to 554 in SA, Mkhize welcomes lockdown

The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in South Africa climbed to 554, Health Minister Zweli Mkhize confirmed on Tuesday 24 March.

Number of coronavirus cases increase by 152

This is an increase of 152, with the most cases still being treated in Gauteng.

Coonavirus cases in the Free State now sit at 18, an increase of 5 infections from the previous update. authorities are still urgently seeking members of a church that were possibly exposed to COVID-19-positive congregants from overseas.

Mkhize said that the South African leadership was taking lessons from other governements who have been dealing with mounting caseloads. He also said that there are currently two positive patients in ICU.

“We are learning from other countries including from their mistakes,” he said. “The virus works differently in different countries. China had an epicentre of infection in Wuhan, we had the majority of infections from travel. We are asking other countries for help “

“It is not possible to give a prediction for how long this is going to take. Each country is different. External factors and human behaviour all influence how things progress. We have two patients in ICU who have tested positive, not on respirators at the moment.”

Speaking for the first time since President Cyril Ramaphosa announced a nationwide lockdown to take effect from midnight on Thursday to 16 April, Mkhize said that he hoped that we would see the a “flattening of the curve” in the next few weeks as people stayed home.

”Our main priority is to flatten the curve of infection. We are in a battlezone and we are the foot soldiers,” said Mkhize.

This is a developing story