Coronavirus: Positive cases in SA jump to 240 as Eastern Cape records its first case

As the number of confirmed cases of Covid-19 in South Africa rises to 240, the Eastern Cape province has recorded its first case.

In a statement on Saturday, Health Minister Dr Zweli Mkhize announced an increase of 38 confirmed cases, after Friday’s number stood at 202.

The Eastern Cape becomes the seventh province to record a case after a 28-year-old woman who travelled to Germany tested positive for the novel coronavirus.

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The only provinces with no confirmed cases are the Northern Cape and North West.

Gauteng, which is still the worst hit by the outbreak, recorded 16 new cases, for a total of 125 cases. The Western Cape had 18 new cases confirmed, for a total of 74 people with the virus.

KwaZulu-Natal has 27 confirmed cases of Covid-19.

On Thursday, News24 reported that an operation is under way in the Free State, which currently has seven confirmed cases, as five of those who tested positive were international travellers who attended a church gathering.

As a result, an operation was launched to trace around 600 contacts for testing.

According to the latest data by the Department of Health, of those who have tested positive for the virus, 92 are woman and 148 are men.

Most people who tested positive are between 21 and 60 years old.