The tally of coronavirus-infected South Africans has jumped to 13, the health department confirmed on Wednesday.

Six more people have tested positive for the novel Covid-19 that has been declared a global emergency.

The news came just hours after a military plane took off from OR Tambo International Airport on a mission to repatriate South Africans who are stuck in Wuhan, China, the epicentre of the coronavirus outbreak.

Of the new cases, four are in Gauteng, one in KwaZulu-Natal and one in the Western Cape.

The number previously stood at seven, with the infected coming from a group of 10 people who had recently travelled to Italy.

In Gauteng, the new cases are a 33-year-old female who was part of the Italy group, a 34-year-old and a 33-year-old couple who recently travelled to Germany as well as a 57-year-old male who landed from Austria and Italy on Monday.

In KwaZulu-Natal, a 40-year-old male who returned from Portugal on Saturday has tested positive while in the Western Cape it is a 36-year-old male who travelled to several countries including Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Turkey.

“All the patients have now been advised. Those who are symptomatic have started receiving treatment. Some of these patients are already in hospital while some, specifically those who are asymptomatic, are in self-quarantine. Contact tracing has also started for all these case,” health minister Zweli Mkhize said.

Mkhize said that so far a total of 3,642 South Africans have been tested for the coronavirus.