Just hours after President Cyril Ramaphosa announced a 21-day lockdown, South Africa recorded another massive increase in the number of coronavirus cases in the county. 

Health Minister Zweli Mkhize announced on Tuesday that the number of infections has increased by 152 to 554 confirmed cases. 

Mkhize said health officials were working around the clock to track cases of the virus and trace contacts. 

“The hygiene of blocking your nose and mouth when you cough, watching your distance between someone who is coughing or sneezing, is still very, very important. The issue of washing hands and hygiene is still very very important,” said Mkhize.

“People mustn’t think that ‘the president has declared a lockdown, we are now safe’. This [the lockdown] creates an environment, a condition under which we can all fight against the spread of the infection”.

South Africa has not registered any deaths due to the Coronavirus since its first infection two weeks ago.

If you think you have been exposed to the Covid-19 virus, please call the 24-hour hotline on 0800 029 999.

Common signs of infection include respiratory symptoms, fever, cough, shortness of breath and breathing difficulties. In more severe cases, the infection can cause pneumonia, severe acute respiratory syndrome, kidney failure and even death.