Can you believe all of this happened in a year?

The Covid-19 pandemic originated in Wuhan, China near the end of 2019. Since then, the virus has spread to the rest of the world with Italy, America and Brazil hardest hit in terms of mortality.

• On 5 March,2020, South Africa’s first positive cases, a 38-year-old man from KwaZulu-Natal and his wife who had returned from Italy, were confirmed. Shortly after, a prayer breakfast in Bloemfontein, attended by 859 people, led to 67 new positive cases, among them Rev Kenneth Meshoe, leader of the ACDP, and preacher Angus Buchan.
• On 15 March, President Cyril Ramaphosa declared a national state of disaster with immediate travel restrictions and the closure of schools. On 17 March, the National Coronavirus Command Council (NCCC) was established.
• On 23 March, Ramaphosa announced a national 21-day lockdown to commence on 27 March. The first death, Madelein van Wyk (48) of the Western Cape, was also recorded on this day.
• On 1 April, South Africa began with mass testing, particularly in townships and rural areas. The virus spread rapidly and the strict measures of the national lockdown included a total ban on liquor and cigarette sales. The economic and other social ramifications were criticised widely and mostly directed at the NCCC.
• On 10 April, Collins Khoza of Alexandra died after he was allegedly assaulted by soldiers of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF), allegedly becoming the ninth victim of the police and military. The Pretoria High Court ordered the government to prevent police abuse during the lockdown.
• On 27 April, 217 Cuban medical health specialists arrived in South Africa to assist with the pandemic at a cost of R429million. Their appointment and Ramaphosa’s announcement that the group will be nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize were also clouded in controversy.
• On 1 May, the lockdown was moved to Level 4, while the Western Cape became SA’s Covid-19 epicentre. An estimated 1,5 million South Africans returned to work on 4 May.
• On 1 June, South Africa entered Alert Level 3. Alcohol was permitted to be sold for home consumption with a restriction on trading days and hours. Schools and universities were reopened with a phased approach. Limited domestic air travel was permitted for business purposes.
• On 9 July, South Africa recorded the highest number of confirmed infections in one day: 13 674. Three days later Ramaphosa announced the immediate ban of alcohol sales again. By this time, South Africa was the fifth-worst affected country in the world with more than 360 000 infections.
• On 15 August, the president announced the lowering of restrictions to Level 2 and the extension of the national state of disaster by another month. Just over a month later, the country moved to Alert Level 1. On 3 December, the president announced a resurgence of Covid-19 in the Eastern and Western Cape. End-school parties, known as ‘rage parties’, now became known as superspreader events. One such party in Ballito led to 948 teenagers testing positive.
• On 9 December, Minister of Health Dr Zweli Mkhize announced that the country had entered the second wave. Beaches were closed and other big gatherings limited, while thousands of South Africans departed stubbornly on their annual holidays. The confidence gained during the first wave quickly dissolved when scientists announced that a new strain of the virus was driving the second wave. South Africa breached the one million mark of infections. Where the first wave saw fewer than 20 000 deaths in nearly nine months, this statistic grew rapidly in just one month, reaching 30 000 by 4 January, 2021. Under immense pressure, the government obtained 1.5 million vaccines from the Serum Institute of India, with one million arriving in January 2021 and the balance destined to land in February. Soon, though, the vaccine from AstraZeneca proved to be ineffective against the new strain. Since then, the vaccine has been replaced by a batch from Johnson & Johnson and was rolled out as part of the country’s first phase of vaccinations. It is predicted that a third wave will hit South Africa around May this year.
• On 17 February, 2021, President Cyril Ramaphosa was among the first people in the country to receive the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
• On 1 March, 2021, the president announced that the country was back on Alert Level 1.