The wife of South Africa’s first novel coronavirus patient tested positive on Sunday becoming the third confirmed case in the country, the health authority said.

All three of South Africa’s confirmed cases were in a group of 10 people who had travelled to Italy, the health minister said in a statement.

Italy has seen the most deaths from the COVID-19 disease of any country outside China, where the outbreak that has now killed more than 3,500 people and infected over 105,000 worldwide began in December.

Authorities said they had successfully traced all the individuals who went to Italy, although one of the group was not in South Africa.

The test results of the other six group members were expected within 48 hours.

South Africa reported its first case on Thursday. On Sunday the health ministry reported that the patient was now “upbeat and jovial”, and asymptomatic.

AFP