Next 14 days key in curbing Covid-19
Tighter regulations to curb the spread of Covid-19 come into effect as the country staggers under rising infections.
14 days.
This what the President, Cyril Ramaphosa asks of all citizens as the country battles a third wave of Covid-19 infections, most notably driven by the Delta variant.
“Additional restrictions will be in place for 14 days, from June 28 to July 11. After this period, we will assess the impact of these interventions and determine whether to maintain or adjust our response,” the president said.
With the new Delta variant, the situation in the country has worsened and along with many other countries on the continent, South Africa is seeing a massive resurgence in infections.
Acting Health Minister, Mmamoloko Kubayi-Ngubane yesterday confirmed in a press briefing that the Delta variant, a highly transmissible mutation of the virus which was first identified in India, seems to be driving most new Covid-19 infections in the country. Gauteng remains the epicentre of the current third wave, Kubayi-Ngubane said.
The following regulations will apply:
• Alcohol sales for on-site or off-site consumption is prohibited for 14 days.
• All gatherings are prohibited including social, religious and political events. Restaurants and other eateries may only serve food for takeaway or delivery purposes.
• The school holiday will be brought forward to Wednesday, June 30, and all schools are expected to be closed by Friday.
• Curfew applies from 21:00 and ends at 04:00.
• Non-essential establishments are required to close by 20:00.
• Travel in and out of Gauteng for leisure purposes is prohibited. This excludes work, business and commercial travel, transit through airports, and the transportation of goods. If you are not in your province of residence, you will be allowed to travel home.
• Funeral services have been limited to 50 people indoors. No night vigils or post-funeral gatherings are permitted.
• Public spaces such as beaches and parks will remain open, but no events or gatherings will be permitted.
Earlier this week, the Director-General of the World Health Organization, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on Twitter that the continent’s figures showed a worrisome trend. Statistics show that South Africa now accounts for 35% of all cases in Africa.
Saying he was addressing the nation on a “weighted issue”, Ramaphosa once again asked South Africans to heed the call to adhere to all Covid-19 safety protocol. He encouraged employers to, as far as possible, have employees working from home.
“The seven-day average of new cases has overtaken the peak of the first wave we saw last year, and will soon overtake that of the second wave we experienced in January. We should all be concerned. We expect the peak of the third wave to be higher than that of the previous waves.”
The president furthermore appealed to citizens to think twice before spreading fake news. Think twice before pressing the send button, and if you need information, consult the Department of Health’s information, or that of your doctor, he advised.
*Notice: Coronavirus reporting at Caxton Local Media aims to combat fake news Dear reader, As your local news provider, we have the duty of keeping you factually informed on Covid-19 developments. As you may have noticed, mis- and disinformation (also known as “fake news”) is circulating online. Caxton Local Media is determined to filter through the masses of information doing the rounds and to separate truth from untruth in order to keep you adequately informed. Local newsrooms follow a strict pre-publication fact-checking protocol. A national task team has been established to assist in bringing you credible news reports on Covid-19. Readers with any comments or queries may contact National Group Editor Irma Green (irma@caxton.co.za) or Legal Adviser Helene Eloff (helene@caxton.co.za).
