Limpopo police arrested a COVID-19 patient who failed to quarantine in Gauteng after testing positive.

The Gauteng department of health struggled to locate him and he was found in Limpopo. On Thursday Gauteng health MEC Bandile Masuku said his department was looking for people who tested positive for COVID-19, using private laboratories, but had not collected their results.

The Limpopo department of health said it was concerned as the man had interacted with other people. Limpopo health MEC Dr Phophi Ramathuba said upon hearing the news her department acted swiftly to have the man arrested and taken into isolation.

"My department will not hesitate to take in anyone who breaks the rules. Being an under-resourced province, the only way we can win this battle is to ensure that those who must be screened and tested do so, and those who must self quarantine and isolate also do so. Those who fail to observe these basics and expose our communities to danger will be taken in,"

Ramathuba said. She said she was worried that her department might have its hands full dealing with potential imported cases , such as those of people who deliberately ignored the call for a 21-day lockdown.

"The inter movement of people between provinces will obviously bear consequences as we have said. We just have to be prepared to fight hard because for now there is nothing we can do about it, it is what it is," Ramathuba said.