Since the activation of the first COVID-19 public hotline number, the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD), a division of the National Health Laboratory Service, has recorded high call volumes from the public hotline wherein a total of 324 062 calls have been received to date. As such, we have added two additional hotline numbers to capacitate and the upscale timeous response of inquiries for the public and doctors. Clinicians can now contact the new clinicians’ hotline number on 0800 11 1131 for doctors only, and in addition to 0800 029 999 the public can also contact the public hotline number on 0800 111 132; please note that all lines operate 24 hours a day. We have recorded a high number of prank calls, and we wish to urge the public to desist from such behaviour as it takes away resources from those who need them the most.
As of 18 March 2020, the NICD confirms 31 new additional cases that tested positive for SARS-CoV-2, the causative pathogen for COVID-19. The total confirmed cases for COVID-19 to date stands at 116, most of the cases are accounted in the Gauteng Province with over 52% representation. The provincial break down of the new cases are as follows:
Gauteng Province
- A 25-year-old male who travelled to the UK
- A 45-year-old male who travelled to Austria
- A 52-year-old male who travelled to Austria and Italy
- A 49-year-old female who travelled to Austria and Italy
- A 35-year-old male who travelled to the UK and Netherlands
- A 34-year-old female who travelled to the UK
- A 30-year-old female who travelled to Switzerland and Austria
- A 36-year-old female who travelled to Switzerland and Austria
- A 30-year-old female who travelled to Italy
- A 35-year-old male who travelled to Italy
- A 34-year-old male who travelled to Italy
- A 37-year-old male who travelled to Finland and France
- A 20-year-old male with no international travel history
- A 3-year-old male with no international travel history
- A 21-year-old female with no international travel history
- A 71-year-old female with no international travel history
KwaZulu-Natal Province
- A 59-year-old male who travelled to Austria and Italy
- A 54-year-old male who travelled to Italy
- A 55-year-old male who travelled to Italy
Mpumalanga Province
- A 64-year-old male who travelled to Italy
- A 56-year-old female with no international travel history
Western Cape Province
- A 2-year-old male who travelled to New Zealand
- A 51-year-old male who travelled to Egypt and Dubai
- A 35-year-old female who travelled to Switzerland and Dubai
- A 27-year-old female who travelled to Switzerland and Dubai
- A 60-year-old male who travelled to Portugal and the UK
- A 51-year-old male who travelled to the UK
- A 54-year-old female who travelled to Portugal and the UK
- A 51-year-old male who travelled to the UK
- A 26-year-old female who travelled to the UK
- A 68-year-old male with no international travel history
