IN PICTURES: Cape Town before and after the coronavirus lockdown

Cape Town - On Friday morning South Africans woke up to their new reality for at least the next three weeks. Only those people who work in the essential services sector or residents who needed to access medical services or purchase grocery staples were allowed out on the street.

Most major cities, which would usually be a hive of activity ahead of the month-end weekend, have fallen silent in response to the government's 21-day lockdown to try and curb the spread of the coronavirus which has to date infected 1170 people.

The Mother City was no different. Main roads, which would usually be jam-packed with peak traffic for hours on any weekday morning, were devoid of vehicles except for a sprinkling of permitted travellers.

African News Agency photographers captured the eerie scenes on the city's roads and the Coronavirus Monitor website dug into the archives pictures of the same places before the lockdown.

BEFORE :