Public Health Expert, Professor Alex van den Heever, has outlined his expectations of President Cyril Ramaphosa’s address to the nation, saying a hard lockdown is not likely to be announced.
Ramaphosa will address the nation Monday night on developments to the country’s response to the coronavirus pandemic. The exact time is yet to be announced for the presidential address.
Professor van den Heever says further provincial restrictions are expected to be put in place as coronavirus case numbers continue to increase.
“I think we are going to see more restrictions, or the kind of restrictions implemented in NMB, expanded to other areas. Not a lockdown, I don’t think we will see the kind of lockdown with the prohibition on interprovincial movement and those kinds of measures implemented. You can’t interrupt the economy anymore. I think we are going to see that expansion, curfews in targeted areas and enforcement of current rules.”
President Cyril Ramaphosa to address the nation on Monday:
Second wave
Last week, Health Minister Dr Zweli Mkhize said South Africa is now in its second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.
On Sunday, South Africa recorded 7 999 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the country’s total cases 860 964. The country also recorded a further 170 COVID-19 related deaths, bringing total deaths to 23 276.
761 011 people have recovered from the virus.
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Mkhize said the country now meets second wave criteria that is formulated by scientists and modelling teams.
“It is also important to highlight that four provinces, that being, Western Cape, Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal, and Gauteng Province are the key drivers of this new wave,” Mkhize said.
He urged all MECs to prepare their respective provinces for the second wave.
”The key issues that we have raised are that the provinces need to ensure that testing turnaround times are as quick as possible to facilitate patient flow, assess bed capacity including recalling field hospital beds, attend to staffing and equipment needs urgently and to tighten up monitoring and evaluation and reporting to national department.”
South Africa enters the second wave of COVID-19:
