Staff Reporter.
The Gauteng Health Department has confirmed that MEC Nomathemba Mokgethi has tested positive for COVID-19.
In a statement released on Wednesday, the department said that the MEC had mild symptoms before she went to test on Tuesday.
The MEC was the first person in the province to be vaccinated with the Johnson & Johnson vaccine under the Sisonke trial.
Mokgethi was not presenting any severe symptoms and would be in isolation at home for at least 10 days.
On Monday, Mokgethi accompanied Gauteng Premier David Makhura and Health Minister Dr Zweli Mkhize on a visit to the Munsieville Care for the Aged to launch South Africa’s phase two vaccination roll-out programme, with more than 2.1 million having registered to get inoculated.
GAUTENG MEC FOR HEALTH TESTS POSITIVE FOR COVID-19 pic.twitter.com/bFUzoguO5O
— Gauteng Health (@GautengHealth) May 19, 2021
Last week, during a protest by emergency medical services (EMS) workers from the East Rand, along with security personnel, acting head of the provincial department of health Arnold Malotana had to accept their memorandum on behalf of Mokgethi, who cited that she was too ill to meet the protesters.