President Cyril Ramaphosa says this is not the time for South Africans to relax. Each one of us should consider ourselves as being potentially infected.
The President said this as he moved the country to level 2 lockdown from midnight this Monday 17 August.
In his Speech on Saturday, the President said, “In fact, the risk of infection becomes greater as more people return to work, as they move about more and as there are more opportunities to interact. Even the slightest lapse in our alertness at this moment could lead to a resurgence in infections at a rate and on a scale far greater than what we have seen so far. We have seen this happen in other countries, where stringent restrictions have had to be re-imposed at short notice as the rate of infection rises after relaxation.”
The President encouraged South Africans to continue to wear masks, wash their hands and practice social distancing.
Under Level 2, the following will apply:
- All restrictions on inter-provincial travel will be lifted
- Accommodation, hospitality venues and tours will be permitted according to approved protocols to ensure social distancing
- Restaurants, bars and taverns will be permitted to operate according to approved protocols as to times of operation and numbers of people
- Restrictions on the sale of tobacco will be lifted
- The sale of alcohol will be allowed subject to certain restrictions
- Alcohol will be permitted for on-site consumption in licensed establishments only up until 10pm
- Liquor outlets will be allowed to sell alcohol for off-site consumption from Monday to Thursday during the hours of 9am to 5pm only
- Restrictions on family and social visits will also be lifted, although everyone is urged to exercise extreme caution, especially around the elderly and these with underlying conditions. Visits should be undertake only if necessary
Click here for President Cyril Ramaphosa’s full statement.
Latest Statistics
- As of today there are 587 345confirmed COVID-19 cases in South Africa and 11 839
- There were 3 692 new cases and 162COVID-19 related deaths in the past 24 hours.
- Globally, 234 002 new cases have been reported. Total global infections to date are 21 260 760. Deaths are 761 018.
Source: sacoronavirus.co.za
** If you think you have been exposed to the COVID-19, please call the government’s 24-hour hotline on 0800 029 999 or visit https://sacoronavirus.co.za/ for more information
