Health minister Dr Zweli Mkhize has announced that the number of confirmed coronavirus cases in South Africa has increased to 202.

The Health Department also announced that the Free State province now has its first confirmed cases.

“The patients are being informed as we speak, some have already been taken into quarantine by the provincial government,” Mkhize said.

He said the department would disclose the number of cases in this province on Friday, once all the patients had been made aware of their positive test results.

Mkhize said that seven people have contracted the virus in the Free State. Of the first five people reported in the province, two had come from Texas in the US, two from Isreal, and one from France. They all came together for a church gathering attended by 200 people.

On Thursday, the health minister warned that between 60% and 70% of South Africans are likely to contract the Covid-19 coronavirus, though only about 20% will be seriously ill. Mkhize said the virus “is going to be with us for some time”.

Here are the new cases:

Gauteng Province

A 33-year-old male who travelled to the United Kingdom and France

A 32-year-old female with pending travel history

A 56-year-old male who travelled to Switzerland

A 56-year-old female who travelled to Switzerland

A 34-year-old female who travelled to the United Kingdom and Austria

A 34-year-old male who travelled to Austria

A 27-year-old male with pending travel history

A 22-year-old female who travelled to the United Kingdom

A 31-year-old male with pending travel history

A 52-year-old female who travelled to the United Kingdom

A 54-year-old male who travelled to London

A 53-year-old male who travelled to Austria and Switzerland

A 32-year-old female with pending travel history

A 33-yar-old male with pending travel history

A 52-year-old male with pending travel history

A 20-year-old male with pending travel history

A 37-year-old male with pending travel history

A 47-year-old female with pending travel history

A 23-year-old male with no international travel history

A 32-year-old male with pending travel history

A 21-year-old male with pending travel history

A 34-year-old female with pending travel history

A 40-year-old female with pending travel history

A 41-year-old male with pending travel history

A 2-year-old male with pending travel history

A 39-year-old male with pending travel history

A 58-year-old male with pending travel history

A 56-year-old male who travelled to the United States of America

A 28-year-old male with pending travel history

A 67-year-old male who travel to the United Kingdom

An 11-year-old male who travelled to Spain

A 30-year-old male who travelled to the United States of America

A 53-year-old male who travelled to the United Kingdom

Free State Province

A 38-year-old male who travelled to France

A 54-year-old male with pending travel history

A 55-year-old male who travelled to France

A 52-year-old male who travelled to Israel

A 68-year-old male who travelled to Israel

A 74-year-old male with pending travel history

A 32-year-old male with pending travel history

Western Cape Province

A 31-year-old female who travelled to the United Kingdom

A 34-year-old who travelled to the Netherlands

A 26-year-old who travelled to the Netherlands

A 29-year-old with pending travel history

A 69-year-old male who travelled to Switzerland and Dubai

A 58-year-old who travelled to the United Kingdom, Austria and Tanzania

A 23-year-old male who travelled to the United Kingdom and Germany

A 43-year-old female who travelled to Canada and Austria

A 60-year-old male who travelled to Saudi Arabia, the United Kingdom, Switzerland and Austria

A 62-year-old who travelled to the United Kingdom, Austria and Switzerland

A 63-year-old male who travelled to the United Kingdom and Italy

KwaZulu Natal Province

A 29-year-old female with pending travel history

Communication around the virus

Mkhize has had a teleconference with chief executive officers of Private Laboratories that are performing the Covid-19 tests, where the private laboratories expressed their commitment and willingness to work hand in hand with government to perform the Covid-19 tests.

The meeting acknowledged that in order to allow for consistent reporting of cases, all information will be sent to the National Institute of Communicable Diseases in real time.

There will be collaboration and proper compilation of the results, thereafter it will be released to the public.

The first confirmed cases of the virus in the Free State were known on Thursday when the NICD announced the official tally at 150, but the patients needed to be informed first.

Meanwhile, the Western Cape Health MEC Nomafrench Mbombo has gone into self-quarantine as a precaution after she came into contact with the French Consul General, who announced that he had tested positive for the coronavirus.

On Friday, global cases stood at 246,881, with 10,064 deaths. 88,510 people have recovered.

Read: South Africa working on new sick leave rules for coronavirus