COVID-19: Ramaphosa calls on people to adapt to social distancing measures after lockdown is eased

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has cautioned the people to be prepared to live with the deadly coronavirus for a year or more and asked them to adapt to social distancing measures and wear face masks even after the lockdown is eased, minimising opportunities for the spread of the virus in the country.

South Africa has so far reported over 12,000 COVID-19 cases and more than 200 deaths, according to the Johns Hopkins University data.

The country has been under a nationwide lockdown since March 27. The president had last month announced a five-phase plan to gradually ease the lockdown imposed to combat the spread of the coronavirus in the country.

Currently, the country is on level four under which limited businesses are allowed to open, there is a curfew between 8 pm and 5 am and a ban on alcohol and liquor sales.

While there is still much about the pandemic that is unknown, experts now agree that the virus will remain a threat to global public health for some time," Ramaphosa said in his newsletter on Monday.

We must therefore be prepared to continue to live with the coronavirus among us for a year or even more, he said.

Stressing that life will not be like before after easing of the lockdown, he said, we must be prepared for a new reality in which the fight against COVID-19 becomes part of our daily existence."