South Africa confirms third COVID-19 case

By Hassan Isilow

JOHANNESBURG (AA) - South Africa announced its third case of the novel coronavirus on Sunday.

"A third person has tested positive for COVID-19 virus. This is a person who was part of the group of 10 who had travelled to Italy and had been kept on surveillance," Health Minister Zweli Mkize told national broadcaster SABC.

Mkize said the third patient was the wife of the first COVID-19 patient -- a 38-year-old man who returned from a trip to Italy and tested positive for the coronavirus on Thursday.

The couple has two children who both have tested negative and are now being monitored by health officials.

Ten South Africans travelled to Italy on March 1 for a ski trip and returned to the country on March 3. The group is currently under surveillance with test results expected next week.

Italy is one of the worst-affected countries by the coronavirus since its outbreak last December in Wuhan, China.

The global death toll is nearly 3,500, and over 100,000 confirmed cases, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

Notably, some 52,000 former patients have recovered from the virus.

The WHO, which already declared the outbreak an international health emergency, recently updated the global risk level from high to very high.