A 70-year-old doctor in the Free State is in the intensive care unit after contracting the coronavirus, health minister Zweli Mkhize confirmed on Saturday.

He is one of 12 doctors who have been confirmed to have tested positive for Covid-19.

“It must be emphasised that none of these health workers were infected by patients that they were treating,” Mkhize said.

“They came into contact with their family members, friends and other colleagues who had tested positive for Covid-19. All individuals who were identified as contacts of these health workers have been put in quarantine and are being monitored.”

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In Limpopo and Mpumalanga, one medical doctor from each province had tested positive after travelling abroad on holiday.

In the Free State, three doctors, one nurse and one neurophysicist tested positive for Covid-19.

Six doctors have been affected in Gauteng, Mkhize said.

“[Excluding the Free State doctor] all these health workers are in a good medical condition with most of them having mild or no symptoms,” Mkhize said.

“All individuals who were identified as contacts of these health workers have been put in quarantine and are being monitored.”

Mkhize said he was concerned by the number of health workers confirmed to have been infected in both private and public hospitals.

“This includes doctors and nurses. We mention this because health workers are in the frontline of this battle. They are exposed not only to their families but to the patients who they are meant to treat,” he said.

The number of confirmed coronavirus cases on Saturday increased to 1187 from Friday’s 1170.

Mkhize, however, said that these numbers – which show only 17 new cases – should not be seen as a decrease in the number of infections.

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“It is merely a reflection of positive results that were received, verified and ready for today’s reporting,” he pointed out.

Gauteng, the Western Cape and KwaZulu-Natal had the most infections at 533, 271 and 156 respectively.

The Northern Cape, Eastern Cape and Limpopo had the least at 5, 10 and 11 cases.

A total of 117 was listed as unallocated.