South African President Cyril Ramaphosa on Tuesday hinted that the government is likely considering tightening existing lockdown measures as the number of coronavirus cases continue to spike in the country, reported News 24.
“We are in the third wave and the issue of moving down to another level will be discussed by the NCCC and they will make recommendations, and there seem to be indications that we have to increase the measures – particularly in Gauteng – that we put in place,” Ramaphosa said at a briefing in Cape Town.
He added that the NCC will meet and make recommendations over the issue of moving to another level of lockdown.
He said warned that the situation was worrying in Gauteng. He admitted that infection rates in Gauteng were much higher than ever reported before. The province has seen Covid-19 cases increase at a rate of 57 percent week on week. The infection rate is already higher than it was at the peak of the previous two waves. Infections there account for 70 percent of the new cases reported in South Africa on Monday.
The South African president said that while the government is thinking of imposing stricter lockdown measures, it is also important to maintain a balance between keeping the economy open at the expense of people’s lives and protecting livelihoods.
“The lives of people are extremely important as are their livelihoods,” he said.
Ramaphosa said the hard lockdown at the start of the pandemic did help bring down infections, which enabled South Africa to loosen the lockdown measures.
Last week, the South African government announced a relatively light lockdown Level 3 amid a steep rise in infections, which led to restrictions in alcohol sales in shops.
It currently remains unclear clear when the NCCC will meet again to reconsider measures to curb the spread of the coronavirus.
