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PRETORIA – President Cyril Ramaphosa warned of a second wave of coronavirus following a wave of infections.
The Eastern Cape Province saw a 50 percent increase in coronavirus cases over the past week, Ramaphosa said.
“What we are witnessing in the Eastern Cape should be a wake-up call for all of us, that we cannot relax and we cannot be complacent,” he said.
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“We can avoid a second wave if we each do our part, if we remember what we have to do to keep ourselves and others safe.”
Ramaphosa said new coronavirus cases in the Eastern Cape, already hit hard during the peak of the outbreak in July, had risen by 145 percent in the past two weeks compared to the previous 14 days.
A strict lockdown was put in place in March to stop the spread of the virus, which has infected more than 742,300 people and killed just over 20,000.
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Ramaphosa said a “resurgence plan” would be implemented to respond to new localized outbreaks.
It would involve intensified contact monitoring and testing, and would prepare health facilities for potential cluster outbreaks.
Ramaphosa called on citizens not to violate the rules on wearing face masks in public and limiting social gatherings.
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The president also announced a greater relaxation of some remaining restrictions to facilitate a “rapid and sustained economic recovery.”
Limits on the sale of alcohol will be lifted and all visitors will be able to enter South Africa with a negative COVID-19 certificate.
Until now, travelers from countries with high infection rates have been banned.
