Lockdown has worked, says President Ramaphosa
Most of the country will be on Lockdown Level 3 by the end of May, President Cyril Ramaphosa, said in an address to the nation tonight.
“The best current estimate is that, without the lockdown and the other measures we have taken, at least 80 000 South Africans could have been infected by now. And the death toll could have been at least 8 times higher than it is. As it stands, there are 219 people in South Africa who have succumbed to this disease," President Ramaphosa said.
“By contrast, at a similar stage in the progression of the disease, the United States had recorded over 22 000 deaths and the United Kingdom over 19 000 deaths. We should never forget that the purpose of the lockdown was to delay the spread of the virus and prevent a huge surge of infections. So far, we have been successful in the manner we as South Africans have responded and dealt with this virus.
“The percentage of cases identified out of all the tests conducted – what is known as the positivity rate – has remained low and stable. The level of confirmed infections in South Africa is around 181 people per million of the population. By contrast, countries like the United States, the United Kingdom, Spain, Italy and Singapore have between 2 400 and 4 600 coronavirus cases per million people.
“It is significant that out of the 12 074 confirmed cases in South Africa, we have recorded 4 745 recoveries. By delaying the spread of the disease, we have been able to strengthen the capacity of our health system and to put in place wide-ranging public health programmes to better manage the inevitable increase in infections.
“We now have nearly 25 000 additional beds available for quarantine. We have been able to source and produce substantial quantities of personal protective equipment for health workers, vital medical equipment and other supplies.
Confirmed cases: 12 074. Deaths: 219
SOURCE: Presidency