[ad_1]
This week, the President has said in his weekly letter that the focus on beating Covid-19 will now have to shift to individual behavior as the country slowly returns to work on closing the blockade.
He said that it was now clear that the virus would remain a threat and problem for a year or more, and suggested that people would have to take personal responsibility for observing social distancing and hygiene measures to continue to limit the infection rate while living. with the virus. it is still widespread in the country.
A second wave of infections was also observed in countries that had already contained the outbreak to some extent.
Ramaphosa once again defended the harsh confinement as a necessary containment measure that had saved lives in the short term.
A new reality would await the country for the foreseeable future, with life unable to return to what it was until the coronavirus is no longer a threat.
Read his full letter below:
Dear South African colleagues,
Since the beginning of May, when we began to gradually ease the national coronavirus blockade, many people began to return to work.
As part of the gradual recovery in the economy, companies in certain specific industries have been able to resume part or all of their operations.
The national coronavirus alert level is now 4, which means that extreme precautions are maintained to limit community transmission. Our goal is to constantly reduce the level of alert while keeping the infection rate low and preparing our health system for the inevitable increase in cases.
As the blockage gradually eases, life will slowly return. But it will not be life as we knew it before.
While there is still a lot about the pandemic that is unknown, experts now agree that the virus will remain a threat to global public health for some time.
Therefore, we must be prepared to continue living with the coronavirus among us for a year or even more.
We must be prepared for a new reality in which the fight against Covid-19 becomes part of our daily existence.
Our success in overcoming the coronavirus will ultimately be determined by the changes we make in our behavior.
Even after closing, especially after closing, we will still have to observe social estrangement, wear face masks, wash our hands regularly, and avoid contact with other people. We will have to reorganize workplaces, schools, universities, colleges and other public places to limit transmission.
We will have to adapt to new forms of worship, socialization, exercise and meeting that minimize the opportunities for the virus to spread.
This is a reality that countries around the world have to face. Even those countries that have begun to relax their blockade restrictions are doing so tentatively and with extreme caution.
As we have, many countries are implementing comprehensive stimulus packages to strengthen their respective health care sectors, support struggling industries and workers, and provide assistance to vulnerable households.
Like us, they have had to heed calls for economic activity to resume. Like our citizens, their populations are restless and frustrated with the restriction of personal liberties.
At the same time, health experts around the world are warning of a “second wave” of infections as public life resumes. Several countries, including Germany, Iran, and China, have seen an increase in new infections since easing certain restrictions.
We will not be different. We can and should expect infections to increase as more people return to work. We must accept reality, prepare and adapt to it.
The next phase of our national response is as much about continuity as it is about change or innovation. We will step up our intensive case detection, testing and management program. We will introduce new measures to make contact tracking more effective. We will have to implement massive sanitation of workplaces, public transport and other spaces.
Since the national blockade began, most South Africans have observed current regulations for their own health and safety. They have made an informed decision to do so, understanding that it is necessary for their own lives and for the lives of those around them.
As restrictions on economic activity and daily life are eased, it is vital that all South Africans maintain that strong sense of personal responsibility. In everything we do, in every sphere of life, we must take care of our own health and the health of others.
Whether as individuals, employers, employees, government, civil society, unions, or businesses, we will all continue to play a role in fighting the pandemic.
In the same way that we had to change our behavior to prevent the spread of HIV, now we need to change our behavior to stop the coronavirus.
The imposition of a national blockade gave our country a strategic advantage. He bought us valuable time to prepare our health system and implement containment measures. This has delayed transmission and saved lives.
The transition to the next phase of the coronavirus response, recovery, will be more difficult than the current one. The risk of infection outbreaks will increase. The demands on our clinics and hospitals and medical personnel will grow.
That is why easing closure restrictions should not result in careless behavior on the part of individuals or reckless practices by companies interested in resuming activity at the expense of human health.
The coronavirus crisis will pass. But as long as it remains a threat to the lives of our people, we must remain vigilant, diligent and responsible.
Now, more than ever, it depends on the conduct of each one, which depends on the destiny of all.
With the best wishes,
Cyril Ramaphosa
To get more news your way, download The Citizen app iOS and Android.
[ad_2]
