We will defeat Covid-19 if we work together
16 March 2020
Last night President Ramaphosa announced tough but necessary measures to limit the spread of the novel coronavirus and Covid-19 infections in South Africa.
Our priority as a nation must be to limit the spread of the disease to the general population, and particularly to vulnerable communities where measures such as social distancing or self-isolation are impractical. The failure to do so would have a catastrophic impact on the millions of South Africans living below the poverty line, without access to proper sanitation and quality healthcare.
It would be equally catastrophic for the many South Africans who suffer from illnesses that compromise their immune and respiratory systems, such as HIV/AIDS and TB, and place them in the high-risk category if they contract Covid-19.
It is especially for these South Africans that we cannot afford to approach the Covid-19 pandemic with complacency any longer.