South Africans say the national lockdown announced by President Cyril Ramaphosa last night is a responsible step to help minimise the spread of the Coronavirus in the country. But for many, the challenge is how to spend 21 days at home. Some are buying board games to play with their children, while others plan to relax in front of the television.

Different political parties have welcomed President Cyril Ramaphosa's new stringent measures aimed at preventing the spread of Coronavirus. Most political parties have urged the nation say although inconveniencing, the new measures are meant to save lives.

President Cyril Ramaphosa has announced a national lockdown for 21 days under the Disaster Management Act. This follows a meeting with the National Command Council to assess the efficacy of the measures put into place on Sunday last week. The lockdown will run from midnight on Thursday 21 March up until 16 April and will see all citizens required to stay home with the exception of various professional catgaories. Measures have also been announced to mitigate the negative economic impact of the disease.

Aid organisation Gift of the Givers will this week start operating a Coronavirus testing facility in Northgate, Johannesburg. This will be among three of the organisation's facilities in Gauteng that will provide testing at a subsidised rate. South Africa currently has 274 confirmed cases of the COVID-19 infections, an increase of 34 since Saturday.

The number of confirmed Coronavirus cases in South Africa has risen to 274. The Health Ministry released the latest figures last night shortly after the Presidency announced that President Cyril Ramaphosa's expected address to the nation on the pandemic had been postponed to today. President Ramaphosa was locked in meetings till late yesterday engaging with business leaders, heads of political parties and government's National Command Council at the Union Buildings in Pretoria.

South Africans waited with bated breath last night as President Cyril Ramaphosa was expected to address the nation following his meeting with the National Command Council on the Coronavirus situation in the country. However, Ramaphosa's planned announcement of further measures to tackle the virus, was postponed to today.

The civic group Unemployed People's Movement has expressed concern about the health of residents of Makana Municipality during the outbreak of the Corona Virus. Members of the UPM occupied the council chambers of the municipality demanding answers. The residents say they have been without water and are concerned they won't be able to practice safety measures to prevent themselves from contacting the virus, such as regularly washing their hands with soap and water.

The National Council of Provinces, with the exception of the Western Cape has adopted a report by the Gauteng department of COGTA to dissolve Tshwane Metro Council, under section 139: 1 C of the constitution. The NCOP has spent the past few days in Gauteng, deliberating on a number of issues, including the challenges that have emerged from Tshwane.

Government says it aims to establish quarantine zones in every region of the country. The department of public works together with relevant municipalities have the task of identifying areas where people infected with the Covid 19 virus will be treated. This was announced during a briefing of several cabinet ministers aimed at clarifying the regulations gazetted to give effect to the national state of disaster declared by President Cyril Ramaphosa on Sunday. The regulations issued by the Department of Co-operative and Traditional Affairs encompass regulations relating to social gatherings, uncompetitive consumer behaviour , places of quarantine, emergency procurement procedures as well as the roles of various departments

The Gauteng government has warned that it will take drastic steps to deal with those who do not comply with government's directive of keeping crowds to below one hundred. It has called on citizens to co-operate as it tries to contain COVID19 in the province. The province has established a team to deal with corona virus. It believes the drastic measures taken by the country and the province will yield positive results soon. Gauteng currently has the majority of confirmed corona virus cases in the country at 61 out of the 116 cases nationally.