The institute said that only people with symptoms and who had traveled to coronavirus stricken areas would be tested along with those who had been in contact with people who had travelled abroad.
The National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD)'s Professor Cheryl Cohen said that South Africans looking to protect themselves should be aware that there was no scientific proof that over-the-counter masks worked.
To wear or not wear a mask? Cheryl Cohen of the National Institute for Communicable Diseases spoke to EWN to clarify confusion around the coronavirus. #Coronavirus #COVID19 #NICD
South Africans have been strongly encouraged to continue following hygienic practices such as regular handwashing to fight against the rapid spread of the disease.
The president has appealed to the public not to spread fake news and information on COVID-19 as this would cause panic.
Bhekisisa health reporter Aisha Abdool Karim breaks down why South African's should remain calm about the coronavirus. She gives tips on what symptoms to look for, prevention methods and what to do if you suspect you are infected. While Head of NDOH Coronavirus Infection Prevention and Control Shaheen Mehtar confirmed to Bhekisisa that the virus can die under hot conditions, this information has been disputed, and the evidence has been inconclusive.
President Cyril Ramaphosa spoke to the media in Pretoria about the first confirmed case of the coronavirus in South Africa and encouraged South Africans to not panic.
The Health Department on Thursday confirmed that a 38-year-old man from KwaZulu-Natal had tested positive after returning from Italy.
Health Minister Zweli Mkhize has confirmed the first positive case of the coronavirus in South Africa. #BreakingNews #Coronavirus #CoronaVirusinSA
The NICD releases updates daily and said that up to now, there were 118 suspected cases but all of them had tested negative.
Scores of people have been tested in South Africa since the outbreak in China but all cases have come back negative.
A South African who recently returned from China was now under quarantine at a KwaZulu-Natal hospital. He told Eyewitness News how he was initially turned away from hospital after showing flu symptoms.
Idai has killed more than 700 people across three countries with over 400 of those in the Mozambican city of Beira - the other deaths were recorded in Zimbabwe and Malawi.
The National Institute for Communicable Diseases conducted an investigation at the facility after nine infants died following the outbreak earlier this year.
The NICD's Lucille Bloomberg says there is a negative connotation with the word swine flu, raising unnecessary panic but in fact it's the same as a normal seasonal flu.
Since the DRC government announced the outbreak earlier this month, at least 26 people have died.
There have now been 193 confirmed deaths, out of 691 confirmed cases. There are still 320 cases being tested.
Exactly a month since the recall of Enterprise polony, the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) says that the number of listeriosis cases has decreased significantly.
