COVID-19 hit Ramaphosa sends message to South Africans

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, who tested positive for COVID-19 on Sunday, has sent a message to South Africans, never to let their guards down for the virus.

He posted the message on his Facebook page and also thanked his compatriots for their good wishes.

“Thank you, fellow South Africans, for your good wishes following my COVID-19 positive result.

“As I recover, my message of the week is: don’t let your guard down.

“Do everything you can and need to, to stay safe, beginning with vaccination.

“Vaccines dramatically reduce the chances of severe illness, hospitalisation and death.

“Let’s all protect ourselves. Vaccination is free, easy and it works”.

Earlier his office released a statement saying that he is still showing mild symptoms.

The statement from the presidency said Ramaphosa has had to delay a booster vaccine he was due to receive this week.

Ramaphosa, who was given Johnson & Johnson’s (JNJ.N) vaccine in February, tested positive the same day that he addressed a state memorial to the last leader of South Africa’s white minority government, FW de Klerk, in Cape Town.

His office said on Sunday that Ramaphosa had tested negative on Wednesday last week when he returned to South Africa from a trip to four West African countries.

In the past few days South Africa has reported around 20,000 new COVID-19 infections a day, in a fourth wave believed to be linked to the Omicron coronavirus variant.

South African scientists so far see no sign that the variant causes more severe illness.