South African government on Monday announced tougher restrictions as the country reported a total of more than 1 million coronavirus cases since the outbreak began in March, reported Africa News.
In a nationwide address, President Cyril Ramaphosa announced the closure of bars, a ban on all kinds of indoor and outdoor gatherings and imposed a curfew from 9 p.m. until 6 a.m.
“Apart from permitted workers and for medical and security emergencies, nobody, and that means nobody, is allowed outside their place of residence during curfew,” the South African president said.
Ramaphosa also announced that all beaches and public swimming pools have been closed in the country’s infection hotspots including Cape Town, Durban, and Johannesburg.
He warned that it has now become compulsory for every person to wear a mask in a public space. Anyone found not wearing a mask in a public place will be committing an offense. He or she will be subject to a fine or possible prison sentence.
“On conviction, they will be liable to a fine or to imprisonment for a period not exceeding six months, or to both a fine and imprisonment,” Ramaphosa said.
He added that the new restrictions will last for the next 14 days and they may be reviewed within the next few weeks if they see a sustained decline in infections and hospital admissions.
The South African president announced the latest measures after attending a Cabinet meeting and an emergency meeting of the National Coronavirus Command Council following the discovery of a new coronavirus variant in the country.
South African medical experts believe that the new COVID variant, referred to as 501.V2, is more infectious than the original virus and has resulted in a recent surge in the number of cases. The country has been the hardest hit by the virus in Africa and has reported over 26,000 deaths.
