Health Minister Zweli Mkhize has announced that the number of South Africans infected with the novel coronavirus has now increased to 554.
Mkhize said the number of positive COVID-19 cases are still expected to increase in the next coming days, adding that measures such as the lockdown announced on Monday by President Cyril Ramaphosa would help flatten the curve.
Mkhize was addressing media along with members of the National Command Council in Pretoria.
Most of the confirmed cases originate in Gauteng, Western Cape and KwaZulu-Natal, according to Mkhize.
He said Gauteng now has 302 cases, most of which are in Johannesburg. Western Cape now has 130 cases and KZN has 80.
He said health workers were working around the clock to track cases of the virus.
More than 10 000 were tested in the private sector and 2000 by public laboratories.
(Compiled by Inside Politics Staff)
