Rami Chuene: Covid-19 victims always had names, it's just hitting close to home now

As the Covid-19 death and infection numbers continue to climb, actress Rami Chuene told fans the pandemic has always been “real”, but was alarming now because "people you know are infected".

Many thousands of South Africans have been infected with the coronavirus since March, and several celebs confirmed this week that they or their family members have contracted the virus.

Several TV productions have been halted over the last month or so over fears that staff may have come into contact with someone who had the virus.

As the virus starts to hit “closer to home”, Rami took to Twitter to tell fans the statistics have “always had names”.

“The statistics always had names. It’s getting ‘real’ to you now because the statistics are now names you know, names of people you love. It has always been real since the beginning. Be safe, take care,” she said.

She also offered her support to Umhlobo Wenene presenter Spitch Nzawumbi, who recently lost a friend to the virus.

“Tonight go to sleep with my heart in pieces. Nothing in life could ever prepare you for the death of a friend you’ve known since you were 18, whose family had become your own. This candle is for my bestie who succumbed to #Covid19  today. So young and full of life. Broken,” he wrote on Twitter.