Mkhize: Whole country will move to level 3 on Monday
Health Minister Zweli Mkhize has once again reiterated that the whole country will move to level 3 of the lockdown on Monday.
Previous regulations had stated that hotspot areas would remain under more stringent regulations, but Mkhize now says even those areas with high infections are set to ease into level 3 with the rest of the country.
Government says it will keep a close eye on hotspot areas, including Cape Town.
“Further to that, government has taken measures to identify areas that have been defined as epidemiological hotspots,” Mkhize says.
“As it stands, government has immediately taken steps to intervene in areas that are regarded as hotspots by deploying experts and specialists who will implement measures to curb the spread.”
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This comes after a media briefing, which was set to outline the regulations when the country moves to level 3 of the lockdown regulations on Monday, was postponed for a second consecutive day on Wednesday. The DA's Dean Macpherson says the government is not leaving business and workers with enough time to prepare for level 3.
Mkhize says if the spread of the infection is not contained despite health interventions the specific area will return to 4 or 5.
He adds the movement of persons in hotspot areas – be it in a metropolitan, district, sub district or ward – will be curtailed if the curve isn’t flattened.
He says this will be done swiftly to contain and manage the spread of Covid-19 and ensure health facilities are not overburdened.