Health Minister Phaahla’s Covid case shows virus is not over – department

Dr Joe Phaahla tested positive for Covid-19 after he had experienced minor symptoms. Photo: Rosetta Msimango

NEWS

Health Minister Dr Joe Phaahla tested positive for Covid-19 after he had experienced minor symptoms. This was announced by the national health department on Tuesday afternoon.

According to the department’s spokesperson, Foster Mohale, Phaahla took tests early on Tuesday and his results came back positive in the afternoon, forcing him to immediately isolate himself.

“He will perform his official duties from home for a period of seven days, and all his planned contact meetings have been rescheduled, while others have been converted to virtual.” Mohale said:

He added that Phaahla had received two doses of the J&J Covid-19 vaccine which he believes had boosted his immunity against the severity of the virus.

“The department would like to remind the public that lifting the Covid-19 restrictions doesn’t mean the pandemic is over, hence vaccination remains accessible at all times at selected sites,” he said.

On Monday, the National Institute for Communicable Diseases reported that 171 new Covid-19 cases had been identified in the country, bringing the total number of laboratory-confirmed cases to just over 4 million.

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The department of health reported that there were four deaths, and zero occurred in the past 24 to 48 hours. There had been an increase of three hospital admissions in the past 24 hours.

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