South Africans woke up under lockdown on Friday, struggling to adapt to some of the toughest restrictions in the world as the country recorded its first coronavirus deaths and confirmed cases rose above 1,000. The 21-day lockdown came into force at midnight. It confines people to their homes for most activities including exercise, only permitting trips outside for specific purposes like buying food or for health emergencies.
With shops, restaurants and offices shuttered, streets in more affluent parts of Johannesburg appeared quieter than usual on Friday. But large crowds continued to gather in nearby Alexandra and other poor townships, where cramped conditions militate against social distancing and offer a rich breeding ground for the virus among people reliant on an ailing public health system.
Many are also too poor to weather the economic fallout the epidemic is causing. I don’t have money, now I am thinking what should I do? Because of this I will be stuck in the house with my babies and everyone and my wife,” street vendor Godfrey Thula said.
The country’s first two deaths from the virus both occurred in Western Cape while total cases rose above 1,000 from 927 on Thursday, the health ministry said.
eNCA’s @ZikhonaTshona is in Alexandra. Residents have packed shops despite a lockdown. Tune in on #DStv403 for up to date coverage of #Day1ofLockdown pic.twitter.com/iq4ZWBPEsy
— eNCA (@eNCA) March 27, 2020
That makes Africa’s most industrialised nation an epicentre of the outbreak on the continent, where 3,212 people have been infected overall, of whom 84 have died.
President Cyril Ramaphosa has been praised for ordering some of the toughest measures on the continent — including calling out the army to enforce the lockdown and criminalising deliberately spreading false information.
Ramaphosa, at a virtual G20 meeting, lobbied richer countries to help cushion the blow to Africa from a pandemic has killed over 21,000 people globally and devastated supply chains.”It’s extremely difficult to see what South Africa can do. The structural problems that have held the country back are not … going to be easily fixed now,” Charles Robertson, Global Chief economist at Renaissance Capital, said, adding that it might be wise for Ramaphosa to seek an IMF package.
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Source: eNCA
