Johannesburg, Apr 3 (IANS): A total of 55 students from South Africa's University of Pretoria have tested positive for Covid-19, said Minister of Higher Education, Science and Innovation Blade Nzimande on Friday.

"We are aggressively working on contact tracing with the help of the health department and have tested and screened a large number of students and staff over the last few days," he said on Friday.

As screening and testing are still ongoing this week, there is a probability that the number of positive cases may rise, Xinhua news agency quoted the Minister as saying.

Nzimande added that they are also working with the National Institute for Communicable Diseases to investigate the outbreak.

The authorities have established screening stations around the affected residences, Nzimande said, noting that other medical facilities including mobile health units and institutional campus clinics have also been stationed to offer psychosocial and other health assistance to the affected residents.

He called on students, lecturers and all staff to observe Covid-19 health protocols and guidelines as the 2021 academic year gets underway.