SANDF members patrol a hostel in Alexandra, a township in Johannesburg – FT

South Africa must brace itself for the brutal menace of SARS-CoV-2 (Covid-19) pandemic creeping silently across the country, experts warn.

As of Wednesday April 22, 2020, the total number of cases for Covid-19 have increased to 3, 635 from 3, 465. A rise by 172 from yesterday.

Seven (7) deaths have also been confirmed, placing the toll to 65 from 58 two days ago.

Tests conducted this far are 133, 774 and 1, 055 people have recovered from the fatal disease.

Last night, President Cyril Ramaphosa announced a R500 billion socio-economic relief to mitigate the impact of the deadliest virus in the world.

Of this amount, the health department has been allocated a plump R20 billion to scale up efforts against the highly infectious coronavirus outbreak.

These funds will enable the department and its agencies to acquire sufficient resources, garner more support and provide necessary contingency cover.

Moreover, in a letter sent to The Speaker of the National Assembly, Ramaphosa wrote: “I have decided to… employ additional 73, 180 members of the SANDF (South African National Defense Force), consisting of the Regular Force, Reserve Force and Auxiliary Force” for reinforcement.

As mitigation measures become flexible, the new military enlistments are likely to revive the bite of the lockown rules. The latest installment of recruitees are cleary a show of mettle and determination by government to contain the viral scourge through stepped up testing and isolation techniques.

A recent presentation by Prof. Salim Abdool Karim, Epidemiologist and Infectious Diseases Specialist, suggested that the upward trajectory of Covid-19 cases and deaths (in SA) will continue. It is unlikely that the steep slope of the coronavirus graph will decline anytime soon, he added.

In the meantime, the slow infection rate of the virus as reported in South Africa has bought the government time to secure essential supplies for the anticipated onslaught in winter which is few days away.

Accordingly, most people seem to buy the notion that lockdown has achieved its mandate. Seen in this way, patience is running out on others who believe that the draconian government restrictions have run their course and are no longer necessary. They advocate, therefore, that a swift return to normal life is due.

Interestingly, on Thursday, April 23, the President will announce new measures as the lockdown window draws close. There is an insatiable appetite for the reopening of the economy and the relaxation of stay-home restrictions.

That said, Ramaphosa alluded yesterday that the government will lift shutdown controls in stages through what he called “a risk-adjusted approach”. This seems to be the state’s approach to ensure economic, health, security and other systems do not get clogged. He, in addition, previously cautioned against an-all-out sudden opening of the entire economy at a go, thus risk tearing apart the same foundation already laid.

While the novel coronavirus pandemic is still a lively ravaging fact, the World Health Organization (WHO) has placed South Africa on the global map in one of its regular media briefings about the pandemic.

About Covid-19 in Africa (and SA in particular), Executive-Director of WHO Dr. Michael Ryan said recently:

“There is tremendous amount of innovation going on in Africa in general… Again, it is interesting the way in which South Africa is bringing the (coronavirus) disease under control… and how African countries are actually, in many ways, some ways showing the way. Strategy in South Africa was based on preparation, primary prevention, lockdown and enhanced surveillance, 67 lab mobile units around the country, 28, 000 community health workers trained in case detection.” 

Worth noting is that the resumption of crowed areas is a far fetched idea, so is the return of all employees in the country.

Furthermore, venturing out in the public may also require every person to put on a (face) cloth mask to protect the public. The visibility of foot soldiers, too, may become common currency in communities with high prevalence of the disease.

For now, tomorrow will surely indicate the path all citizens have to follow as the coronavirus numbers keep ticking up.