This is an increase of two cases from the statistics released on Thursday by Health Minister, Zweli Mkhize. The Free State not only has a significantly higher Coronavirus case count as compared to its neighbours, the Northern Cape and North West, it also has the highest number of deaths associated with the virus in central South Africa sitting at four. 

The Free State Health Department remains undeterred in their fight to curb the outbreak, continuing with mass screening efforts via the National Health Laboratory Service’s mobile units and door to door teams dispatched on Friday at the busy Twin City Mall and Turflaagte Township in Bloemfontein. As well as Botshabelo, Parys, Theunissen, Brandfort and Virginia.

Mkhize has not broken the latest figures down according to cities and towns but it is common knowledge at this point, that the vast majority of the cases in the Free State are concentrated in the province’s capital, Bloemfontein. 

Five internationals from Israel, the United States of America (USA) and France who attended the Jerusalem Prayer Breakfast held at the Divine Restoration Ministries in Bloemfontein around mid-March were amongst the province’s first confirmed Coronavirus cases. The church event was attended by hundreds of people including leader of the African Christian Democratic Party (ACDP) and member of parliament Kenneth Meshoe, Steve Swartz and well-known evangelist, Angus Buchan. 

Meshoe, Swartz and Buchan were the more well-known contacts that tested positive from the event. The Internationals have since recovered and have been repatriated back to their respective countries after receiving the all-clear from the health department. Provincial health department spokesperson, Mondli Mvambi, confirms the guests tested negative for COVID-19 and thus have as of last week Thursday, travelled back to their home countries. Mvambi, tells OFM News the guests all vacated the Woodlands hotel, they were quarantined at the day prior to their departure.

In total there are 2783 confirmed cases in the country with the vast majority in Gauteng, Western Cape and KwaZulu-Natal.

OFM News