Ramaphosa joins SA in wishing Zweli Mkhize & wife a speedy recovery after testing positive for Covid-19

South Africans have flooded Twitter to wish health minister Zweli Mkhize a speedy recovery after he announced that he and wife May tested positive for Covid-19.

The minister said they were tested on Saturday after he experienced mild symptoms.

“I was feeling abnormally exhausted and as the day progressed, I started losing appetite. My wife had a cough, was dizzy and extremely exhausted. Given her symptoms, the doctors advised that she must be admitted for observation and rehydration,” said the minister in a statement.

Mkhize said they informed their close contacts, which include family members and officials in the health ministry. He said they were self-isolating in their homes.

The minister urged South Africans not to “regress”, as the risk of Covid-19 and the second wave still stands.

“Whatever we do and wherever we go, we have to keep in mind that there remains a risk of a second wave. The virus only spreads through movement and contact of people. Therefore we must all play our part. We must protect ourselves and those we love,” he said.

The health ministry on Sunday announced that SA had identified 703,793 positive Covid-19 cases. There are 634,543 recoveries and 18,471 deaths. Globally, SA remains among the countries most affected by the coronavirus.

Worldometers ranks SA at number 12, with the US, India and Brazil in the top three.

Many commended the minister for his hard work in raising awareness about the Covid-19 pandemic.

President Cyril Ramaphosa wished the couple a speedy recovery and echoed Mkhize's call for people not to be complacen.t

Here are some of the messages: