Minister of Health Dr Zweli Mkhize is holding a live ZOOM public engagement with citizens to address technical aspects relating the South African government’s response to the coronavirus (COVID-19). This comes at President Cyril Ramaphosa’s instructions following the National Command Council’s meeting on Monday.
COVID-19 experts are expected to join the live engagement.
The public engagement is expected to start at 19:00 and the media, experts, clinicians, scientists and academics are encouraged to join in the engagement.
In the video below, Zweli Mkhize holds live public engagements on efforts to fight COVID-19 in South Africa:
South Africa has 2 173 confirmed cases of COVID-19. 25 people have died from the virus.
As at today, the total number of confirmed #COVID19 cases in South Africa is 2173. This is an increase of 145 from the previously reported cases. pic.twitter.com/iOI2wFr4bA
— Dr Zweli Mkhize (@DrZweliMkhize) April 12, 2020
The Department of Health said in a statement on Sunday that the number of tests conducted by public laboratories has increased.
“The total number of tests conducted to date is 80 085. We are also seeing an increase in tests conducted at public laboratories. Of the 5 032 tests conducted in the past day, 3 192 were done in public laboratories.”
Mkhize also urged all South Africans to join in the fight against COVID-19. He said on Sunday that it is essential that South Africans obey the lockdown regulations, maintain good hygiene and maintain social distancing as much as possible.
Wearing masks
Mkhize also encouraged South Africans to wear masks as this is a scientifically proven preventative measure of COVID-19. He says people can also make their own cloth masks. He also said people can use handkerchiefs, but that they must ensure that handkerchiefs and cloth masks have three layers.
“The next issue is the use of masks in addition to handwashing, sanitation. This issue of wearing masks is important. It is not one versus the other. It is everything together. And in this case, we are recommending that people can use cloth masks. Cloth masks, we need to just try and make sure there is a three-layer kind of thing. You can even use handkerchief which means all you do you is fold this one way, and fold this other way … those three together – that gives you already three layers and then it can be turned into a mask. You can use handkerchief, but people can actually make their own masks. Just make sure that you try and keep those layers.”
