The South African government facilitated the return of 114 of its citizens from Wuhan, where the deadly epidemic is thought to have started in December, and ran tests after their arrival on Saturday.

Health minister Dr Zweli Mkhize confirmed in a statement that the entire group were clear of the virus, but said they would keep them quarantined for the next two weeks.

The group is being accommodated at a resort 250km from Johannesburg in a small town, Polokwane.
"It gives us great pleasure to also announce to South Africans that all the citizens from Wuhan were tested and their results came back negative for COVID-19.

We continue to keep them in quarantine for the prescribed period and will thereafter initiate the process of reunifying them with the community," said Dr Mkhize.

However, Dr Mkhize is a concerned man after the number of cases increased to 85 by end of Tuesday.
"It is notable that there are 8 (eight) cases of local transmission," he said.

The rest of the cases are people who traveled to different European countries in recent weeks.
South Africa has since imposed strict travel restrictions on foreign nationals from high-risk countries, including Italy, Iran, South Korea, Spain, Germany, the US, the UK and China. The ban, announced on Sunday night, kicks in on Wednesday. South Africa has also shut down its borders, schools and tertiary institutions and banned gatherings of more than 100 people.

The coronavirus is affecting over 166 countries and territories around the world.
Over 198,587 people have been diagnosed globally, with 7,988 deaths recorded and over 82,779 people having recovered.
Egypt has the highest number of confirmed cases in Africa, with 196 people testing positive, and six deaths so far.