This is exactly what happened to a local resident from town. Her identity and all the relevant documents are known to MooiVaal Media (Ster & Vaalweekblad)  but her identity will not be made public.

Her nightmare started on 25 March when she visit the library near Stephenson Spar like she has been doing for years.

“On 02 April I received an official call asking if they could come and see me,” she says. “I was at work, so they came there and took my temperature. They wore masks and gloves like you see on the news! It was a strange experience

“They explained that I had been in contact with someone who had tested positive for Covid-19. I had to go home and isolate myself immediately.”

“The following day (3 April) they came to my home and did more tests. I was told that I would receive my test results on 8 April at the latest.”

“Since they contacted me the very first time so many scary thoughts had been going through my head. I have never been so afraid in my life. The prayers and love of my family carried me through this trying time.”

“Every day I woke up and thanked the Lord that my temperature tests were normal. But still there was this little voice in my head: what if I do test positive?”.

What made her ordeal worse is the fact that she suffers from asthma and emphysema. She had reason to be afraid as the virus cause damage to lungs. She was an ideal case to test positive.

Yesterday (8 April) she got her test results back – she luckily tested negative! “This was such wonderful news. People who make jokes about the virus will stop doing so when they end up in the same boat I did.”

Her advise to other residents are: Obey the lockdown rules. That is how you take care of yourself and your loved ones! You will experience the harsh reality of the situation when you or someome you care about have to go through something like this.

• There have been several rumours about locals who have tested positive for Covid-19, but this is the first case evidence were provided.