South Africa now has 116 confirmed cases of Covid-19 - an increase of 31 new cases since Tuesday. 

Health Minister Zweli Mkhize made the announcement on Wednesday morning, adding that a further eight local transmission cases had been reported. These are patients who have not travelled overseas and were therefore infected locally. 

"As part of tracking and tracing, we have collated background information on how these patients were infected. We will provide information to the public, so as to give a sense of how these local transmissions occur. We will however not disclose full details, as this information is subject to patient confidentiality which we are bound by," Mkhize said. 

Gauteng has now recorded 16 new cases; KwaZulu-Natal three; Mpumalanga two; and the Western Cape 10.

These new infections include a 3-year-old boy from Gauteng with no international travel history, as well as a 2-year-old boy from the Western Cape who had travelled to New Zealand.

Four of the newly infected patients are 60 years or older, putting them at a higher risk of developing a severe case of Covid-19. 

President Cyril Ramaphosa was locked in a meeting with the leaders of political parties on Wednesday to talk about the country’s response to the coronavirus.

In a statement, the Presidency said this would be part of the wide-ranging consultation process he was currently engaged in after announcing a national state of disaster on Sunday night.

Ramaphosa and party leaders are expected to address the media after the meeting which is taking place at Tuynhuys in Cape Town.

In the meantime, schools have been closed until 14 April and, while no travel ban is in place, South Africans have been advised to limit their movements.