South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has announced plans by the government to further ease lockdown restrictions aimed at curbing the spread of COVID-19.
In a televised address on Sunday, Ramaphosa noted the harm the disease has caused in the country, but said the indefinite time it may take to develop a vaccine means the country cannot continue being in a lockdown.
He said a controversial ban on the sale of alcohol would be lifted for home consumption when the country moves into level three of a five-tier coronavirus lockdown next month.
South Africans were prohibited from buying alcohol and cigarettes when the country went into one of the world’s strictest lockdowns on March 27.
The booze ban was meant to prevent a spike in violence and reduce pressure on emergency wards as hospitals gear up to face a virus that has infected at least 22,583 people across the country and killed 429.
“Alcohol will be sold for home consumption only under strict conditions on specified days and for limited hours,” Ramaphosa announced in an address to the nation.
“The sale of tobacco products will remain prohibited in alert level 3 due to the health risks associated with smoking,” he added.
South Africa started gradually easing confinement measures on May 1, allowing citizens to exercise outdoors in the morning and some businesses to partially resume operations.
Ramaphosa said the alert level would now be lowered from level four to three from June 1, with a “differentiated approach” to deal with “coronavirus hotspots”.
“Moving to alert level three marks a significant shift in our approach to the pandemic. This will result in the opening up of the economy and the removal of a number of restrictions on the movement of people, while significantly expanding and intensifying our public health interventions,” the president said.
The easing of the lockdown from a level four to a level three will take effect from June 1.
South Africa is the worst affected country by the COVID-19 pandemic in Africa.
President Ramaphosa also called for a fair distribution of any vaccine upon development.
“We have argued that should a vaccine be developed anywhere in the world it should be made freely and equitably available to citizens of all countries,” he said.
