Global pandemic to affect us for at least a year :Ramaphosa

President Cyril Ramaphosa has urged South Africans to be prepared for a new reality in which the fight against COVID-19 will be an everyday battle.

In his weekly newsletter, released on Monday, Ramaphosa said the coronavirus could remain a threat to global public health for a year or more.

Lock down regulations were eased at the beginning of May, to alert level 4 and many people started returning to work.

The President said that even with the easing of the regulations and moving to level 4, South Africans still need to adhere to regulations and protect themselves, to limit community transmission.

“Even after lockdown – especially after lockdown – we will still need to observe social distancing, wear face masks, wash hands regularly, and avoid contact with other people. We will need to re-organise workplaces, schools, universities, colleges and other public places to limit transmission,” he said in the newsletter.

Ramaphosa stated that the goal is to reduce the alert level gradually by keeping the rate of infections down and working on getting the health system ready for an increase in positive cases.

“As the lockdown is gradually eased, life will slowly return. But it will not be life as we knew it before,” the president warned.

He said to overcome this pandemic, South Africans will need to be determined in making changes in their behaviour.

Ramaphosa added that citizens will need to adapt to new ways of worshipping, socialising, exercising and meeting that minimises opportunities for the virus to spread, and urged citizens to remain vigilant, diligent and responsible.

South Africa now has 10 015 confirmed cases of COVID-19 with 194 fatalities.