HPCSA Wants Ramaphosa To Declare National Lockdown Over COVID-19

JOHANNESBURG – As President Cyril Ramaphosa prepares to address the nation on Monday evening, the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA) is calling on him to declare a national shut down to avoid a crisis.

The president will update the nation on whether the measures he announced last Sunday to contain the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19) were bearing fruit.

With more than 400 people in the country testing positive for COVID-19, the HPCSA called on Ramaphosa to take more drastic steps.

“This is a state of emergency, you cannot have normal rules applying,” said HPCSA president Dr Kgosi Letlape.

Letlape said a lockdown was necessary.

“We are hoping that rather sooner than later, provinces like Gauteng with a high number of infections will go into a more serious mode of reflection. A lockdown is better earlier than later,” he said.

He said an early lockdown will help prevent the spread of the virus, but one implemented late will deal with containing an epidemic that would be out of control.

To track the latest developments around the coronavirus both in South Africa and abroad, click on this live status report from Strategix.

EWN