South Africa will deploy more than 70,000 additional troops in an effort to enforce lockdown restrictions mandated by the government to slow the spread of the coronavirus within the country.
President Cyril Ramaphosa announced the deployment Wednesday after weeks of struggling to enforce strict restrictions that allow only for essential service providers to continue work and must have a permit from the government that allows employees to leave their homes. Those who violate the mandates risk steep fines and prison time.
The government’s restrictions prohibit South Africans from jogging and walking outside, alcohol and tobacco sales, and leaving the home for reasons other than essential trips, the BBC reported.
South Africa has reported 3,465 confirmed cases of COVID-19, the respiratory disease caused by the new coronavirus, 58 deaths and 1,055 recoveries, according to the Johns Hopkins University tracker. South Africa has a population of 57.7 million.
• Lauren Toms can be reached at lmeier@washingtontimes.com.
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