Just keep breathing because we’re going to get through this.
Johannesburg, South Africa (26 March 2020) – South Africa will enter 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 comes as the number of confirmed cases in South Africa increased six-fold in just eight days from 61 cases to 402 cases. As of Thursday, this number is currently on 709 cases.
During the nationwide lockdown, all South Africans will have to stay at home.
I have had a difficult time dealing with what this all means, so I decided to put my thoughts into words.
Tonight our lockdown begins.
The air feels thick, and I am continually reminding myself to breathe. Just keep breathing.
Just. Keep. Breathing.
I know we have to do this as a nation to fight this virus, to make sure that it doesn’t get to the poorest of the poor by flattening the curve, but the truth is I am feeling completely overwhelmed.
I am scared of the uncertainties, of the reality of what we are currently dealing with and how surreal this all is.
How did we get here? How did everything we thought we knew change so drastically in just 2 weeks?
I am scared of this virus, of the draconian authoritarianism that has come with it and the reality that our freedom is an illusion which has now disappeared.
I feel completely alone – even though I know that the entire world is dealing with this – my head keeps spinning, and I feel like I am the only one that is continuously freaking out, and having to recheck my emotions.
Just. Keep. Breathing.
Suddenly some sanity prevails, and I remember that we are all doing this because we want to save our nation, and do more than just survive… we want to thrive.
It is overwhelming, hard to fathom and completely unreal, but this is happening… to all of us.
At times it can feel like we’re going through this alone, but we are not. We are all in this together – separated in our houses – but all together, and that’s how we get through this… together!
Just. Keep. Breathing.
We’re stuck at home but not just in our houses, because home is also more than just where we stay. It is wherever the people who you love are, and whenever you have been together. Not a place, but a moment, and then another, building on each other like bricks to create a solid shelter that you take with you for your entire life, wherever you may go. Wherever you may stay.
In our homes, we have each other, and that will help us get through this… and we will get through this.
Just keep breathing because we’re going to get through this.
by 