South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa said in an address to the nation on Sunday the country had largely passed its peak of infections attributed to the third wave of Covid-19 that has been raging in the country since last May.
As a result, restrictions will be eased. The ban on alcohol sales has been lifted, non-essential establishments like restaurants are set to reopen and inter-provincial travel for leisure will resume. Schools have fully reopened, and social and religious gatherings are again allowed for a maximum of 50 people indoors and 100 people outdoors.
The nighttime curfew has been reduced to 10 p.m. to 4 a.m.
Nevertheless, he warned that people should continue to make efforts to contain the spread of the virus.
While addressing the nation on Sunday, President Cyril Ramaphosa described the coronavirus pandemic as the greatest threat to the lives and health of (our) people, as well as to the recovery and transformation of (our) economy.
This easing of restrictions comes after the average daily number of new confirmed cases over the last week was found to be around 12,000, a 20% drop from the previous week.
