President Cyril Ramaphosa has announced the roll-out of a massive screening and tracing programme in government’s latest onslaught against the spread of the coronavirus.
In an address to the nation on Monday night, he announced that three South Africans have died after contracting the disease, with the number of confirmed cases now at 1326.
“We are now entering a new phase in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic,” Ramaphosa said, adding that the “next 17 days are not going to be easy.”
The President said that in the coming days the government will be rolling out a screening, testing, tracing and medical management programme on a huge scale.
“Around 10 000 field workers will be visiting homes in villages, towns, and cities to screen residents for Covid19 symptoms.
He said this drive is far-reaching and unprecedented in scale.
President Ramaphosa also appealed to South Africans to adhere to lockdown regulations saying he was concerned about those who have not yet appreciated the seriousness of the disease.
He said covid19 is very real and poses a great danger to everyone, adding that it affects everyone, both rich and poor and black and white.
“This not somebody else’s problem,” President Ramaphosa said.
“Every time you violate the regulations the government has issued or try to get around the rules, you are putting yourself and others at risk, and helping the virus spread.”
Turning to the economic impact, President Ramaphosa said that the government remains committed to implementing structural economic reforms to address weak economic growth, constrained public finances and struggling state-owned enterprises.
“We are working together with our social partners to identify further measures we can take to limit the damage on our economy and to ensure that as we emerge from this pandemic, we set our economy on a clear path of growth,” he said.
“Even as our country faces deep and pressing challenges on several fronts, there is no doubt in my mind that we will prevail,” President Ramaphosa said.
