South African President Cyril Ramaphosa on Sunday said the government has decided to tighten COVID-19 restrictions due to a surge of new infections, reported News 24.
During a press conference, Ramaphosa said the North West, Free State, Gauteng, and Northern Cape were already in a third wave.
“It is only a matter of time that the entire country reaches the third wave,” he said. “The severity of this third wave will largely be determined by the amount of contact each of us have with other people.”
He said the recent surge in coronavirus cases was due to social gatherings, where people were not observing health protocols like wearing masks, social distancing, and limiting the number of people attending gatherings.
The South African president said the country will be placed on an adjusted alert level 2 with effect from Monday, which means that a curfew will be in place from 11 pm to 4 am.
According to the new restrictions, restaurants and bars will close at 10 pm and gatherings will be limited to 100 indoors and 250 people outdoors. Funerals are restricted to 100 people and night vigils and after tears are not allowed. Alcohol sales will still be permitted.
The president reiterated that it is mandatory for everyone to wear masks covering their nose and mouth at all times when in public. He said it is a criminal offense not to do so. He asked the people who test positive for Covid to self-isolate themselves at home for 10 days.
“We don’t know how severe the third wave will be or how long it will last,” Ramaphosa said.
The South African president said restrictions would ensure that hospitals were not overwhelmed as the number of new cases rose.
South Africa is officially the worst-hit country on the continent with more than 1.65 million cases and 56,363 deaths.
