JOHANNESBURG 

The total number of coronavirus cases in South Africa has increased to 116, the country’s Health Ministry said on Wednesday.

In a statement, the Health Ministry said there was an increase of 31 new cases of the coronavirus over the past 24 hours.

The majority of new cases are found in Gauteng province, which comprises the cities of Johannesburg the economic hub and Pretoria the capital, the statement said.

Most cases of the COVID-19 have been brought into the country by people returning from trips overseas, especially from Europe.

Meanwhile, Health Minister Zweli Mkhize said over 100 South Africans recently repatriated from China’s Wuhan city and quarantined at a resort in the northern Limpopo province have all tested negative.

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

No deaths related to the COVID-19 virus have been reported in South Africa despite the growing number of patients.

The South African government has introduced several measures to curtail the spread -- including closing schools, stopping travelers from badly affected countries from visiting South Africa and prohibiting gatherings of over 100 persons.

The virus emerged in Wuhan, China last December, and has spread to at least 159 countries and territories. The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared the “outbreak a pandemic.”

Out of over 200,000 confirmed cases, the death toll now exceeds 8,000, while more than 82,800 patients have recovered, according to Worldometer, a website that compiles new case numbers.