Photos of quiet Joburg streets as city complies with lockdown!

Photo Cred: Phil Thurston

Photographs of very quiet Joburg streets – while the city complies with lockdown – is both beautiful and eerie.

Johannesburg, South Africa (28 March 2020) – South Africa has entered a nationwide lockdown for 21-days with effect from midnight on Thursday 26 March 2020.

The lockdown, announced in a televised address to the nation on Monday night, is part of efforts to curb the rapid spread of the Coronavirus in the country. President Ramaphosa made the announcement following a meeting held on Sunday with the National Coronavirus Command Council.

“This is a decisive measure to save millions of South Africans from infection and save the lives of hundreds of thousands of people. While this measure will have a considerable impact on people’s livelihoods, on the life of our society and on our economy, the human cost of delaying this action would be far, far greater,” said the President.

The President’s announcement of the nationwide lockdown came as the number of confirmed cases in South Africa increased six-fold in just eight days from 61 cases to 402 cases. As of Friday morning, this number is currently on 927 cases.

During the nationwide lockdown, all South Africans will have to stay at home and only allowed to leave the house for essentials.

Phil Thurston – who has an apartment in the centre of Joburg – ventured out to pick up prescription medication yesterday and captured these amazing photographs while out.

Scroll through the gallery below: