WATCH: Ramaphosa addresses the nation

President Cyril Ramaphosa addresses the nation, as the country heads toward the end of the national state of disaster.

His address comes as speculation mounts that he will announce the reintroduction of stricter lockdown regulations. This follows remarks by Presidency Minister Jackson Mthembu last week that government was concerned about the reckless conduct of South Africans during the Covid-19 pandemic.

UPDATE: Ramaphosa: State of disaster extended, alcohol sales back to normal

Watch the live video feed courtesy of SABC:

But chairperson of the Ministerial Advisory Committee, Professor Salim Abdool Karim, said on Wednesday morning that weekly average infections seemed steady.

“If you look at a seven-day average, we have been pretty steady and going reasonably well. We had a bit of an incline but it has settled down and the situation now is that we have local transmission at a pretty local level,” he said.

Ramaphosa last month denied rumours that the country would introduce a second hard lockdown amid a rise in infections.

PRESIDENT TO ADDRESS THE NATION ON DEVELOPMENTS IN #COVID19 RESPONSE

President @CyrilRamaphosa will address the nation at 20h00 today, Wednesday, 11 November 2020, on South Africa’s response to the #coronavirus pandemic. #StaySafe pic.twitter.com/JHboo30Att

— Presidency | South Africa ???????? (@PresidencyZA) November 11, 2020

The national state of disaster is expected to lapse this Sunday following another one-month extension in October by Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma.

The state of national disaster was declared by government on 15 March under Section 27 (1) and (2) of the Disaster Management Act, in an attempt to contain the spread of Covid-19.

rorisangk@citizen.co.za

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