“I am addressing you this evening on a matter of great national importance.”
South Africans evacuated from coronavirus-hit Wuhan in China arrive at Polokwane International Airport on Saturday.The following statement was delivered by President Cyril Ramaphosa via a nationally televised address on Sunday March 15.I am addressing you this evening on a matter of great national importance. The world is facing a medical emergency far graver than what we have experienced in over a century.
Initially, it was people who had travelled out of the country, especially from Italy, who had positively tested for the virus. It is concerning that we are now dealing with internal transmission of the virus. This situation calls for an extraordinary response; there can be no half-measures. We will also be able to set up emergency, rapid and effective response systems to mitigate the severity of its impact.
While we appreciate the economic, religious, and cultural significance of social and community gatherings, the coronavirus is spread through contact between persons. The minister of higher education, science and innovation is consulting vice-chancellors of universities and colleges across the country and will soon be announcing measures in this regard.
Because of the severity of this virus and its rapid spreading, the government will make funding available to capacitate the sectors dealing with the national response to the coronavirus outbreak. The anticipated effects of the decline in exports and tourist arrivals will be exacerbated by both an increase in infections and the measures we are required to take to contain the spread of the disease.This will have a potentially severe impact on production, the viability of businesses, job retention and job creation.
We must appreciate the extent of the threat that this disease presents, we must accept the anxiety that it causes, but we cannot allow ourselves to be overwhelmed by fear and panic. We should stop spreading fake and unverified news and create further apprehension and alarm. Although we may be limiting physical contact, this epidemic has the potential to bring us closer together. We are responding as a united nation to a common threat. This national emergency demands co-operation, collaboration and common action.
We thank the medical teams around the country who are leading our response and are putting the wellbeing of others ahead of the risks they face themselves.On Saturday we welcomed 104 of our compatriots who were in Wuhan City, China. We thank the repatriation team for the task they performed with pride and efficiency to return them to the country and ultimately to their families.
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