Level 1 on the cards? – Ramaphosa to address the nation tonight

President Cyril Ramaphosa is expected to address the nation at 20h00 on Thursday, 30 September 2021.

He will provide an update on developments relating to the country’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The President’s address comes off the back of meetings with the National Coronavirus Command Council, the President’s Coordinating Council and Cabinet.

The President’s address will be broadcast and streamed on a range of platforms that are accessible to South Africans and international audiences.

Ramaphosa’s speech will come just hours after the country’s leading vaccine expert, Prof Shabir Madhi said restrictions are “probably not needed anymore”.

Madhi said the only beneficial restriction to keep, would be to limit the number of people at an indoor gathering, “especially indoor gatherings in poorly ventilated spaces”.

Madhi says: “All of the data indicates […] the level of restrictions haven’t done much when it comes to the actual number of people who have been infected.”

“I think outdoor gatherings […] are probably safe as across almost all provinces we are on a downward coronavirus decline”, Madhi said on 702 earlier this week.

ALSO READ: Did government miss its level 2 lockdown review deadline?

Latest covid-19 update

As of Wednesday, 2,106 new Covid-19 cases have been identified. A further 108 patients succumbed to the virus, with the total death toll now at 87,525.