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Ndaba Mandela was at home in Johannesburg with friends on Saturday when he received a call that shook him to the core: he had tested positive for Covid-19.
Mandela, the grandson of former president Nelson Mandela, arrived back in SA from New York last Sunday – the same night President Cyril Ramaphosa addressed the nation and declared a state of disaster over the coronavirus and Covid-19, the respiratory illness it causes.
The following day, Mandela went to get tested because he had returned from the US, which is officially listed as a high-risk country.
“I got the actual result on Saturday night. At the time I was at home with friends, taking it easy, not doing anything crazy. My world stopped for a second. I went into a room by myself and my heart, I got a little bit of heart palpitations,” he said.
https://twitter.com/Feliz_star/status/1242336340001402880
Mr Mandela, please release an official statement to the public about your coronavirus diagnosis.
Ndaba Mandela: pic.twitter.com/ySARsW1Kd6
— Sibongile Mafu (@sboshmafu) March 22, 2020
President Cyril Ramaphosa has declared a 21-day nationwide lockdown amid the rapid rise in the COVID-19 infection rates in the country.
The new measures will add further restrictions to the current ones which were pronounced a week ago under the state of national disaster.
They effectively restrict the movements of citizens except for essential personnel such as those in the medical profession, the military, police, persons involved in food production, and some patients, among others.
A decision by the National Command Council chaired by Ramaphosa, the lockdown has been implemented under the Disaster Management Act.
#LockdownSA All restaurants, cafes, bars and coffee shops will be closed. Food delivery services are also suspended. @Tourism_gov_za @GovernmentZA pic.twitter.com/sHWUvnhEm4
— Yusuf Abramjee (@Abramjee) March 24, 2020
https://twitter.com/Snqobile_Mark/status/1242345195015897088
He surely has a knack of keeping us frustrated, but whenever he speaks he is presidential #21daysLockdown pic.twitter.com/2Ajei0QBvd
— Kulani Irish Chauke (@kulaniirish) March 24, 2020
We applaud the President for taking measures ensuring the virus doesn’t spread beyond the country’s control.
The number of Covid-19 cases has risen to 554, health minister Zweli Mkhize announced on Tuesday.
Mkhize announced the department had recorded 153 new Covid-19 cases.
He said anyone who refuses to be isolated when they test positive for Covid-19 will have their names published to warn the public to not get close to that person.
“If we ask you to go to quarantine, go to quarantine. If you don’t go to quarantine, we will enforce it,” Mkhize said.
Mkhize said a person could face up to 15-years imprisonment if they are in breach of the regulations around testing positive for Covid-19.
Dear South Africa.
Please can you calm down! @PresidencyZA was very clear last night announcing the #21DaysLockdown #CoronaVirusSA
Supermarkets
Pharmacies
Laboratories
Banks
Petrol stations
Health care providers
These WILL STAY OPEN during the shutdown period. pic.twitter.com/FeN7mYaPoL
— Aki Anastasiou (@AkiAnastasiou) March 24, 2020
I am originally from Limpopo but currently based in Gauteng, for the sake of protecting my family and friends back in Limpopo, I have taken a decision not to travel via N1 during this #lockDownSouthAfrica together we can #Covid19SA
— Nhlanhla Gezani Leonard (@BaloyiLeonard) March 24, 2020
https://twitter.com/FirstBlack_Dean/status/1242437421419151360
We at Zkhiphani urge citizens to stay indoors unless necessary to be safe from the virus.
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