R40m worth of test kits and hospital equipment on its way to South Africa

The German government will send test kits and other hospital equipment worth R40-million to South Africa to help fight Covid-19 in the country, its ambassador said on Monday morning.

“I can assure you my government will be willing and able to help countries like South Africa to get out of this out of this terrible spread of the coronavirus,” Martin Schäfer said during an interview with Stephen Grootes on SAfm Sunrise.

The German ambassador to South Africa, Lesotho and Eswatini said the decision was taken two weeks ago after meeting with South African partners.

In a video on his Twitter page he said the funds would be handled by Germany’s state-owned development bank, KFW, and the department of health.

“The coronavirus affects us all. We are trying to be of assistance. We are in this together.”

On Sunday evening, the department of health announced that the number of confirmed Covid-19 cases in the country had climbed to 1,280.

A 74-year-old man from Ladysmith in KwaZulu-Natal has been confirmed as the second person to die from Covid-19 in SA.

Last Thursday, a group of German tourists were apprehended while on their way to be tested for Covid-19 in Johannesburg.

They were mostly elderly people, some more than 70 years old.

Schäfer said the tourists had arrived in SA on March 6. They have been mostly in the Cape area.

He said on Monday morning those who had tested positive for Covid-19 would have to stay in the country for treatment here.