French Tourist to Kruger Park Tests Positive for Corona

South African National Parks has confirmed that a French tourist visiting Kruger National Park tested positive for the Coronavirus. He is the latest of several foreign tourists who have been found to have the virus while travelling around the country.

The tourist was part of a group of six who arrived in the country on 14 March and entered Kruger three days later. They departed on 19 March, according to a statement released today by SANParks.

The 25-year-old male consulted the resident doctor before leaving Kruger, suspecting his sore throat and temperature were a sign of malaria, but the doctor ruled it out and advised him to test for COVID-19.

“After the test, the group left for KwaZulu-Natal, where they were traced and attended to by the National Department of Health personnel in KZN. NDoH has confirmed that the five members of the group have now placed themselves in self-isolation and the patient admitted to a designated health facility in KZN.”

On Monday it was reported that several German tourists – one in the Eastern Cape and two who had travelled from Kruger to KwaZulu-Natal – had tested positive for the virus.

“Following the release of the (French) tourist results, officials from DoH in Mpumalanga visited Skukuza to track down staff who may have had contact with this group. All possible contacts were speedily identified.”

The identified staff would be closely monitored for 14 days from the date of exposure, and would immediately be taken for testing if they showed any of the symptoms.

All national parks remain closed in adherence to the nationwide lockdown.