Ramaphosa: COVID-19 Will Be ‘Extremely’ Disruptive To SA Economy

Cyril Ramaphosa

The world is in the throes of a public health emergency on a scale not witnessed in over a century.
 
The spread of the coronavirus, which causes the disease known as COVID-19, has been alarmingly swift and widescale, and is now defined as a global pandemic.
 
It knows no geographical or territorial boundaries, has infected both young and old, and is on the rise in developed and developing countries alike.
 
As screening and testing is scaled up, the number of infections in South Africa is expected to rise.
 
Yesterday, I declared a national state of disaster, a measure proportionate to the severity of the threat to our people, to our society and to our economy.
 
This will enable us to have an integrated and coordinated disaster management mechanism and to set up emergency, rapid and effective response systems.
 
This virus will be