At least 80 000 COVID-19 cases were projected in South Africa, says Ramaphosa
At least 80 000 COVID-19 cases would have been realised in South Africa if we had not gone into lockdown, according to President Cyril Ramaphosa who on Thursday night shared projections and estimates from experts.
"Without the lockdown and the other measures we have taken, at least 80,000 South Africans could have been infected by now. The death toll could have been at least eight times higher than it is at the moment," he said.
READ: South Africa tops 12 000 COVID-19 cases
He says so far we've lost 219 lives to the virus while other countries have had to deal with much higher fatalities.
"As it stands, there are 219 people in South Africa who have succumbed to this disease.
"By contrast, at a similar stage in the progression of the disease, the United States had recorded over 22,000 deaths and the United Kingdom over 19,000 deaths," he said.
