JAKARTA - In preventing the spread of COVID-19, which is getting increasingly crazy, many countries in the world are taking steps to close access or lockdown as a strategy. Regarding the lockdown itself, initially it had been taken by China, until it was adopted by European, Asian and then South African countries following implementing the policy.
Monday, March 23, South Africa officially announced to its citizens regarding the lockdown policy. The policy will be enforced for three weeks or 21 days to reduce the spread of COVID-19.
As reported by CNN, the South African government, through President Cyril Ramaphosa, said the lockdown option would begin on Thursday morning, March 26. Even though the announcement was a little urgent, he asked South Africans to immediately carry out social distancing and prepare to isolate themselves at home.
Even so, during the lockdown, they are still allowed to leave their homes for the purposes of buying food, medical supplies, raising social assistance funds or seeking medical care. As a result, all shops and business centers will be closed, except for pharmacies, supermarkets, gas stations, banks and other health and financial service providers.
Not only that, important personnel who are at the forefront of the COVID-19 fight, including health care workers, emergency and security personnel have also been alerted, including the South African National Defense forces. They will be deployed to assist police units in South Africa.
"Immediate, immediate and extraordinary action is urgently needed if we are to avoid the huge costs of the spread of COVID-19," said Ramaphosa, adding that if his nation failed to act quickly it could be the cause of "a human catastrophe of enormous proportions."
How not, the number of COVID-19 patients in the country has increased sixfold since the country declared COVID-19 as a national disaster. This incident hit South Africa hard, especially before the citizens of this country were still struggling to fight AIDS and tuberculosis in large numbers.
"The actions we are taking now will have a huge economic impact. However, we believe that the costs of not acting now will be much greater," said Ramphosa.
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