Coronavirus: SA president announces 21-day lockdown

South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa
South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa

South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa has announced in a live televised address that there will be a nationwide lockdown from midnight on Thursday in order to control the outbreak of coronavirus.

It will last for 21 days.

This means that all South Africans are required to "stay at home except for essential purposes", a tweet from the president's office says.

Editor's Comment
Don't let FMD outbreak drag on

Acting Agriculture Minister, Edwin Dikoloti, is right in saying opening an export-ready facility whilst Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) is still spreading would risk getting the whole country blacklisted before a single carcass leaves the door.A ban like that would break the already stressed nation. So, the postponement, painful as it is, is the right thing to do. The local economy is being squeezed from both ends. FMD has already slammed the door...

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