Germany has announced that it is providing South Africa with R2.5 million for government to obtain more testing kits for the coronavirus.
On Thursday, the United States committed to providing approximately R8 million to the South African government to aid its response to COVID-19.
Close to 140 000 people have been diagnosed in 118 countries across the globe, with over 5000 deaths.
Confirmed coronavirus cases around the world:
German Ambassador to South Africa, Martin Schäfer, made the announcement in a video on his official twitter page.
“The coronavirus has become a real challenge for all of us in Europe and China and now also in South Africa. What is crucial now is that we act with calm and with serenity, but also with reason and resoluteness. Germany has just provided R2.3 million to the government for them to acquire test kits for the virus, which is crucial to know where we stand and to devise appropriate measures.”
Martin Schäfer announces Germany’s decision to provide South Africa with R2.5-million for test kits
The #Coronavirus is a challenge to all of us. Germany is providing R2.5 mln to SA for test kits. Let’s work together to fight the pandemic! We stand in solidarity. #CoronaVirusSA pic.twitter.com/0UNbo5YPp4
— Martin Schäfer (@AmbSchaefer) March 13, 2020
Meanwhile, schools and kindergartens will be shut in most German states until after the Easter holiday inApril, a measure designed to slow the spread of the coronavirus.
“The challenge is immense,” Bavarian state premier Markus Soeder told a news conference.
“As of next Monday the schools and children’s day-care centres will be closed – this will apply provisionally until the end of the Easter holidays, that is until April 20,” he said, adding the authorities would then take stock of the situation.
Ten other states, including North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany’s most populous region, have taken similar measures as the number of confirmed cases across the nation jumped by 671 to3,062.
In Berlin, schools and day-care centres will gradually shutdown starting on Monday and public transport will be reduced to a minimum, Mayor Michael Mueller said.
Calls have been growing for Germany to follow the bulk of its European neighbours in shuttering schools to help slow the spread of the virus. The country’s highly devolved system means only regional governments can make that call.
Health Minister Jens Spahn urged hospitals in a letter to recall retired medical staff and retrain them in case medical facilities become overwhelmed by a large number of patients needing hospitalisation, Bild newspaper reported.
He also urged hospitals to be ready to prepare medical students for a possible role in caring for coronavirus patients.
Germany’s states have agreed that public gatherings of more than 100 people should not go ahead. Municipal elections on Sunday in the southern state of Bavaria would go ahead.
