Today marked the phased reopening of schools for the first time in more 2 months.It had been the much anticipated development as students were losing out on their academic progress.The address was made by the Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga yesterday who revealed that more than 95% of schools were ready to accept the grade 7 and 12 country wide.

However ,in the midst of celebrating the opening of schools ,the president of South Africa Mr C. Ramaphosa delivered some unpleasant and uncomfortable update for the nation ,when he released a media statement informing about the state of Covid-19 in the country.

The President started the media statement by indicating that most people had noticed that the number of confirmed cases of coronavirus in South Africa had been rising at a faster rate ,with more than half of all cases since the start of the outbreak being recorded in the previous two weeks.

 The President would go on to drop a bomb that is likely to make South Africa panic since schools reopened just today. Ramaphosa said that during the course of this week, there is an expected rise in the total number of cases which will pass the 50,000 and that Mzansi will likely to reach the 1000 death mark from this pandemic .

 He went on and said that just like many South Africans, he too have worried as he watches the figures rising. Ramaphosa said that the figures are broadly in line with what had been projected, but indicated that there was and difference between looking at a graph on a piece of paper and seeing real people becoming infected, getting ill and dying.

 Ramaphosa however drew some kind of comfort from the fact that the lockdown had achieved its objective of delaying the spread of the virus so that the country would have time to prepare the health facilities and interventions for the expected rise in infections.

The President went on and said that the lockdown was not only a necessity but also gave South Africa a time to adjust to living with the virus. He said that a number of surveys showed that South Africans have come to know a lot about Covid-19 virus and that they are taking the necessary precautions to prevent the spread.

The President was pleased to realise that a high percentage of South Africans wash their hands regularly, avoid contact with other people and wear face masks whenever they go out in public,but said that social distancing was still a problem that needs to be resolved.He called for adherence to social distancing as this it is through this means that the virus is contracted.