Ramaphosa: ‘Don’t be too merry this festive season’
President Cyril Ramaphosa has called on South Africans to remain vigilant against Covid-19 as the festive season approaches.
The stern warning from the head of state comes amid rising Covid-19 cases.
In a national address on Wednesday, Ramaphosa warned South Africans not to let their guard down.
“The second area of concern that we need to pay attention to is the upcoming festive season, during which many South Africans travel to other parts of the country and where people tend to gather socially. These activities, if not undertaken responsibly, pose the greatest immediate threat to our management of the pandemic.”
He urged the country to adhere to the regulations and follow the basic health protocols to keep a resurgence of cases at bay.
“But we can avoid a second wave if we each play our part, if we remember what we need to do to keep ourselves and others safe,” Ramaphosa said.
“Of course, with the festive season approaching it is understandable that we will want to be with family and friends. It has been a stressful and traumatic year. We want to socialise and connect with each other. But this doesn’t mean we should let our guard down.”
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Ramaphosa warns Eastern Cape could trigger spike in nationwide infections
Ramaphosa addressed the nation on Wednesday evening on government's effort to curb the Covid-19 pandemic. The country now sits at 740 254 cumulative cases, with a 92% recovery rate, and more than 20 000 Covid-19 fatalities. The Eastern Cape's numbers have dramatically increased over the past few weeks.
In his latest address, almost two months since the country moved to level 1 of the lockdown, Ramaphosa kept most of the regulations unchanged.
“We should avoid large gatherings. We should rather meet in small groups. If we must go out, we should limit contact with others.
“The same rules that applied in the early days of the lockdown should apply now,” he added.
In a bid to boost the economy Ramaphosa made two concessions on alcohol and international travel.
“As we transition to a new phase in our response, the only way forward is a rapid and sustained economic recovery. We are therefore working to enable all parts of the economy to return to full operation as quickly and as safely as possible,” he said.
“We are amending the alert level 1 regulations to restore the normal trading hours for the sale of alcohol at retail outlets. We are also opening up international travel to all countries subject to the necessary health protocols and the presentation of a negative Covid-19 certificate.”
Ramaphosa further warned of the return of stricter regulations if the numbers continue its sharp rise.
