---
title: "President Ramaphosa's Covid-19 address in 23 bullet points"
description: "President Cyril Ramaphosa addressed the nation on Sunday night announcing a range of measures to try and stem the Covid-19 epidemic. These bullet points were released shortly after he spoke."
type: "NewsArticle"
publisher: "Daily Maverick"
site: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za"
section: "Coronavirus: State of our Nation"
author: "Cyril Ramaphosa"
author_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/author/cyrilramaphosa/"
canonical_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2020-03-15-president-ramaphosas-covid-19-address-in-23-bullet-points/"
published: "2020-03-15T20:59:01"
updated: "2020-03-15T22:59:27"
lang: "en-ZA"
word_count: 258
---

# President Ramaphosa's Covid-19 address in 23 bullet points

> President Cyril Ramaphosa addressed the nation on Sunday night announcing a range of measures to try and stem the Covid-19 epidemic. These bullet points were released shortly after he spoke.

By Cyril Ramaphosa · Published 15 March 2020, 22:59 SAST · Updated 16 March 2020, 00:59 SAST

## Content

[YouTube video: "YouTube video"](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E8v_qA4IcDY)

**Government of South Africa declared the National State of Disaster**

- Infected individuals as of Sunday 15 March 2020: 61
- Internal Transmission is occurring
- Appealed to SA to limit contact between persons
- Announced a travel ban from high-risk countries such as Italy, Iran, South Korea, Spain, Germany, the United Kingdom, the United States and China as of 18 March 2020.

**South Africans are to refrain from travelling to:**

- The United Kingdom, the United States, Europe, China, Iran and South Koreas.
- People who visited high-risk countries as of mid-February - are required to present for testing

**South Africa has 72 ports of entry via land, sea and airport**

- There are 53 land ports, 35 of them shut down as of Monday
- Two out of 8 seaports closed for passengers
- Non-essential travel prohibited
- Non-essential domestic travel to be stopped

**GROUPS OF PEOPLE**

- Limit contact between groups of people
- Gatherings of more than 100 are prohibited
- All mass celebrations during public holidays cancelled
- Organisers to put in place stringent measures for less-than-100-people events

**SCHOOLS**

- Schools will be closed from Wednesday, 18 March 2020
- Schools will remain closed till after Easter

**BUSINESS**

- Mining, retail banking & farming to introduce measures for hygiene control
- Shopping Malls and Entertainment centres to bolster hygiene control

**Citizens to Change behaviour**

- Wash hands frequently with soap and water or hand sanitisers for a minimum of 20 seconds
- Cover nose and mouth when you cough or sneeze, cover with a tissue or flexed elbow
- Avoid anyone with flu-like symptoms
- Minimise physical contact
- Use the elbow greeting, no shaking hands

![Image](https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/wp-content/uploads/the-big-10-covoid-19-1.jpg)