LISTEN: KZN Health MEC relives the moment she got the call confirming SA’s first COVID-19 case
Health MEC, Nomagugu Simelane-Zulu's described the adrenaline rush, upon hearing the news about our very first case of COVID-19.
"I could not believe it, I went out and I made frantic calls, I was not sure if it was true, or fake news. But the moment I got the note all the buttons were pressed in the province."
Health Minister @DrZweliMkhize has arrived with KZN Premier, Sihle Zikalala and Health MEC, Nomagugu Simelane-Zulu have arrived at Greys Hospital in #Pietermaritzburg to commemorate one year since the 1st #COVID19 case was detected in #SouthAfrica. pic.twitter.com/RRY5TphNsb
— Nushera Soodyal (@nushera) March 5, 2021
Simelane-Zulu and other local government officials are at Martizburg's Grey's Hospital to mark a year since the country recorded its first coronavirus case.
South Africa's patient zero, a 38-year-old father of two was treated AT the facility after he'd contracted the virus while on holiday in Italy.
Simelane-Zulu says they cannot thank healthcare workers enough for the contributions they have made to the fight against COVID-19.
"We have had a number of healthworkers that have been infected, which is beyond 5 000. But we have had a substantial number of our own who have passed on and the fact that these health workers were in the forefront and worked hard, some of them knew the dangers that they were facing."
“To our healthcare workers, we cannot thank you enough.” says Simelane-Zulu. @ECR_Newswatch #COVID19SA #COVID19 pic.twitter.com/RXKxgI5SId
— Nushera Soodyal (@nushera) March 5, 2021
Check out the first few tweets posted by the Health Department on the first case of COVID-19 in the country:
FIRST CASE OF COVID-19 CORONAVIRUS REPORTED IN SA This morning, Thursday March 5, the National Institute for Communicable Diseases confirmed that a suspected case of COVID-19 has tested positive.The patient is a 38-year-old male who travelled to Italy with his wife #CoronaVirus
— Department of Health (@HealthZA) March 5, 2020
FIRST CASE OF CORONAVIRUS
— Department of Health (@HealthZA) March 5, 2020
The patient is a 38-year-old male who travelled to Italy with his wife. They were part of a group of 10 people and they arrived back in South Africa on March 1, 2020 #CoronaVirusUpdate
FIRST CASE OF CORONAVIRUS
— Department of Health (@HealthZA) March 5, 2020
The patient consulted a private general practitioner on March 3, with symptoms of fever, headache, malaise, a sore throat and a cough. The practice nurse took swabs & delivered it to the lab.The patient has been self-isolating since March 3 #Coronvirus
Listen to the Health MEC's full speech:
