South Africa’s Trade Minister Ebrahim Patel has tested positive for COVID-19, becoming the fourth minister to contract the virus in Africa’s hardest-hit country.
Cabinet spokeswoman Phumla Williams in a statement announced that Patel, 58, received his results late Saturday.
Williams said;
Minister Patel is in good spirits and is in self-quarantine, and will continue to work from home. Those that have been in contact with the Minister are also in self-isolation and have been encouraged to get tested.
Four ministers and several MPs have so far contracted coronavirus in South Africa, which has the highest numbers of diagnosed infections in Africa and ranks fifth in the world after the United States (4,315,709), Brazil (2,396,434), India (1,390,429) and Russia (812,485).
On Monday, both Labour Minister Thulas Nxesi, 61, and Mineral Resources Minister Gwede Mantashe, 65, were separately admitted to hospital with the virus.
The third is Defence Minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula, who has since recovered.
As at Sunday morning, South Africa has recorded 434,200 cases of coronavirus with 6,655 causalities.
