South Africa will enter a 21-day lockdown as the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the country reaches 709.

From midnight tomorrow, citizens will be instructed to remain in their homes, only leaving to buy food and receive medical care. All shops, with some exceptions including supermarkets and banks, will close and only health workers and those working in the emergency and security services will be permitted to work.

It is now estimated that around 20% of the world’s population is under lockdown.