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The Minister for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, confirmed on Wednesday that the national state of disaster has been extended for a month.
The country’s state of disaster will run from October 15 to November 15.
Dlamini-Zuma said the decision was made “taking into account the need to continue to increase existing legislation and contingency arrangements adopted by state bodies to address the impact of the disaster.
He said the extension gives the government time to “get back to normal” and puts measures in place to prevent a second wave of Covid-19 infections.
The cabinet has decided to further extend the national state of disaster for one month. This period will allow the government a progressive and responsible return to normalcy. It will help us take steps to avoid a second wave of infections. pic.twitter.com/a9CoXijwTq
– Dr. Dlamini Zuma (@DlaminiZuma) October 14, 2020
Last month, South Africa’s state of disaster was also extended by a month, from September 15 to October 15.
It is not yet clear how the extension will affect lock level 1.
Several experts and politicians have opposed the presence of the blockade.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) recently appealed to President Cyril Ramaphosa not to prolong the blockade, saying the economy was being hit by the ANC. “Irrational, unscientific and unethical blockade with its arbitrary and meaningless regulations that ineffectively target a single risk, a risk that is not nearly as dangerous for our country as many other risks.”
The economic repercussions of the blockade have affected practically all industries, including the health sector.
Epidemiologists and health experts recently drafted a petition called The Great Barrington Declaration, calling for “targeted protection.”
This involves allowing young, healthy populations with minimal risk to live their lives in an attempt to build immunity against Covid-19 through “natural infection”, while simultaneously “protecting those most at risk.”
This stance is being taken abroad, in the hope that herd immunity or a vaccine can curb Covid-19 infections. However, this is not a foolproof plan, because herd immunity requires that a significant percentage of the world’s population be vaccinated.
It is not yet known when it will be achieved.
Updates to follow as more information becomes available.
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