Four doctors and a consignment of medical supplies arrived in Eswatini from Taiwan at the weekend to help in the fight against Covid-19.

Welcoming the doctors, Prime Minister Ambrose Mandvulo Dlamini said Taiwan has always been a nation that comes through for Eswatini.

"This consignment also includes PPE (personal protective equipment) that is most needed by our health workers. This medical mission and assistance will go a long way in strengthening the capabilities of our health sector.

"We are proud to count on Taiwan as a reliable friend for the past 52 years. We are proud of our strong bonds that have been solidified by His Majesty (King Mswati III) and President Tsai Ing-wen. Eswatini will remain loyal to its friends and will uphold the principle of equal partnership, progressive engagement and co-operative alliances," he said.

He said the world should recognise the health expertise of Taiwan, which has not only been extended to Eswatini, but to other countries as well.

"International organisations of authority in the health agenda should give Taiwan an ear in order to find crucial answers to save humanity."

Taiwanese ambassador to Eswatini Jeremy Liang said the arrival of the doctors signifies the perfect relationship between the two countries.

"We are willing to share with our best friends, the Kingdom of Eswatini. We believe we will make a difference."

Meanwhile, Dlamini has urged EmaSwati not to let up on the gains the country has made in the fight against Covid-19.

"We are still in a position now to mitigate the threat of Covid-19 and to some extent control the spread if we all play our part," he said.

"Initially, the majority of the cases were linked to travel, but recently we have seen an increase in cases not linked to travel. In the last week, the number of positive cases has more than doubled from 40 cases this time last week to 100 confirmed cases.

"This rapid increase demonstrates the dire need to maintain social distancing and follow all necessary health precautions and practices, ensuring that all of us play an active role in keeping those vulnerable among us safe from this potentially deadly virus. Government has increased bed capacity at Lubombo Referral Hospital to 100 beds and we are working to provide an additional 100 beds at another facility for patients that will require hospitalisation. Both facilities are able to provide high and critical care as required."

Eswatini has recorded 112 confirmed cases of Covid-19, with one death and 12 recoveries.

Health Minister Lizzie Nkosi announced four new cases on Sunday. One of the four people who tested positive for Covid-19 is a two-year-old boy from Manzini region. He is the youngest person in the country to be diagnosed with Covid-19.

The coronavirus that causes Covid-19 was first recorded in Wuhan, the capital of China’s Hubei province in December 2019 and soon spread to other parts of the world.

So far there are more than 3.5-million confirmed cases worldwide, with close to 250 000 deaths. More than 1.1-million people have recovered from the disease.