Courtney Edwards, formerly from Tafelsig, now teaching in Saudi Arabia
I have been in Saudi Arabia for the past seven months teaching foundation phase pupils at Nada International School in Al Ahsa (“Teacher chalks up experience abroad”, Plainsman, August 21, 2019).
The coronavirus first dawned on us during January and became more severe during this month.
On Monday March 23, our President Cyril Ramaphosa announced a national lockdown for 21 days with certain exceptions when it comes to essential services.
At the time of his speech on Monday, South Africa had 402 confirmed cases – from 61 cases just eight days previously. This was expected to increase exponentially and by the next day there were more than 500 cases.
The coronavirus is teaching us many lessons. For me it seems that it just goes to show that we are all equal.
Covid-19 comes with no boundaries.
The next biggest thing for me is that it is nature’s way to give the earth a chance to breathe, pollution across the world decreased. For the first time we see fish in the ocean.
This is the time to reflect. In fact, coronavirus stopped us in our tracks on various levels.
Some of the precautionary measures include washing our hands regularly, making us conscious of not touching of our faces, keeping our physical distance and to rather use social media to maintain social interaction; coughing and sneezing in a flexed elbow; not to shake hands, when you have symptoms (fever, dry cough, tiredness, difficult breathing in severe cases) all combined, you should seek medical attention.
I appeal to you, stay at home to save lives and ask your friends to stay at home for the next 21 days, this will flatten the curve.
This is a national collective effort and we all are in the fight, even your brothers and sisters, who are not in the country.
Let us fight this together.