Health minister Zweli Mkhize said on Saturday that a second case of a novel coronavirus infection in South Africa has been identified — this time in Gauteng.

Mkhize said in a statement that the second case of Covid-19 — as the virus is officially known — has infected a 39-year-old woman from the province.

The unnamed woman was part of the same group of 10 that had travelled to Italy on holiday from which the first South African case emanated — a man from Hilton in KwaZulu-Natal.

The second patient will immediately be admitted to a public health facility in Gauteng that government identified as one of the hospitals that are ready to receive Covid-19 patients.

“The public must be notified that we have information and know the whereabouts of all the other 10 people who were part of the group that had travelled to Italy,” the minister said.

“All those who came back to South Africa are currently being tested. We are now awaiting their test results. Since being traced, they have remained in isolation to avoid any further contact with third parties.” — (c) 2020 NewsCentral Media