Health Minister Zweli Mkhize has outlined the dangerous consequences for those who attend large gatherings and fail to adhere to health protocols amid the coronavirus pandemic.
This after several matric learners attended the Rage 2020 party in KwaZulu-Natal last week, which has been identified as super-spreader event.
The event has resulted in many young people testing positive for the coronavirus.
Speaking in Port Elizabeth in the Eastern Cape on emerging coronavirus hotspots across the country, Mkhize says people must be cautious of attending events as the virus spreads quickly.
“You can imagine it was fun for them but one of those or some of those would have gotten infected and when they get home to parents who never had anything to do with this thing, now because they have got diabetes and hypertension, they are going to succumb and even lose their lives, just because somebody went on a bash. It is not fair. This is the message we have to send: we will live long enough to see another bash and festivity when we no longer have a crisis.”
Health minister gives update on hotspots and cautions against reckless behaviour:
Arrival at Sarah Baartman District, to assess the districts response to rising #COVID19 cases. #ECVisit9December pic.twitter.com/FIglorI9VT
— Dr Zweli Mkhize (@DrZweliMkhize) December 9, 2020
Rage 2020 attendees urged to self-quarantine
The Gauteng Department of Health has since urged all those who attended the Rage 2020 party to go into self-quarantine.
About 1 300 learners from Gauteng attended the party.
In the video below, Rage 2020 identified as a super-spreader event:
Revised regulations for hotspots
During his address to the Nation last week, President Cyril Ramaphosa announced that Nelson Mandela Bay in the Eastern Cape was the country’s coronavirus hotspot.
Ramaphosa also made amendments to regulations in the area to help curb the spread of the disease. These include:
- A ban on public drinking
- Sale of alcohol from 9am – 6pm on Mondays to Thursdays
- Revised curfew, which will be from 10pm – 4am (not applicable to essential workers)
- Gatherings (including religious gatherings) may not be attended by more than 100 people for indoor and 250 for outdoor events.
- The prohibition of all post-funeral gatherings
Meanwhile, the government said that the summer initiation season will go ahead, except in the identified hotspot Nelson Mandela Bay.
