Ramaphosa calls for calm as Covid-19 infections surge
President Cyril Ramaphosa has called for calm amid the surge in the number of Covid-19 infections over the past week.
In his weekly letter, the president said the total number of confirmed cases are expected to pass the 50 000 mark this week.
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Ramaphosa said government is also expecting the death toll to pass 1 000.
"Like many South Africans, I too have been worried as I watch these figures keep rising. While these numbers are broadly in line with what the various models had projected, there is a big difference between looking at a graph on a piece of paper and seeing real people becoming infected, some getting ill and some dying.”
This comes as the number of new Covid-19 infections increased by 2312, taking the total numbers of positive cases in the country to 48 285.
A total of 998 people have lost their lives.
The president reiterated the belief that the nationwide lockdown helped in delaying the spread of the virus.
This gave government time to prepare health facilities for when the infection reaches a peak.
"The lockdown was not only necessary but it has also given us all time to adjust to living with the virus. Various surveys show that South Africans have come to know a lot about the virus and are taking the necessary precautions to prevent its spread," Ramaphosa said.
READ THE FULL LETTER BELOW:
From The Desk of the President - Monday, 8 June 2020
Most people will have noticed that the number of confirmed cases of coronavirus in South Africa has been rising fast. More than a half of all cases since the start of the outbreak were recorded in the last two weeks.