South Africa sees jump in COVID-19 cases before curfew

JOHANNESBURG

The number of confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus in South Africa jumped to 927 Thursday after 218 more were recorded overnight as the country prepared to enter a three-week curfew.

Earlier this week, President Cyril Ramaphosa announced a lockdown that would see all South Africans except essential workers remaining home in a bid to contain the spread of the virus.

Essential workers include health workers, security personnel and workers in the food and telecommunications industries.

“The South African Police Services and South African National Defense Force will from midnight today play an important role in supporting and enforcing the nation’s compliance with the restriction of movement of people under the National State of Disaster and lockdown,” Ramaphosa said in a statement.

Dressed in a military uniform, he addressed security personnel and ordered them to take to the streets and save lives.

“I order you to go out and execute this in great success,” he said on national television.

Hundreds of South Africans desperate to be with their families in rural areas rushed to board buses or drive long distances from their workplaces in major cities to their home provinces ahead of the lockdown.

Despite government assurances of the supply of staple goods, some people were seen panic buying.

The novel coronavirus, officially known as COVID-19, was first detected in Wuhan, China in December and has spread to at least 175 countries and territories, according to data compiled by U.S.-based Johns Hopkins University.

More than 526,000 cases have been reported worldwide, with the death toll exceeding 23,900 and over 122,000 recoveries.