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In a televised address to the nation, the president acknowledged that there was clear evidence of a resurgence of COVID-19 infections in parts of the country, especially the Eastern Cape and Western Cape.
FILE: President Cyril Ramaphosa addresses the nation. Image: GCIS
JOHANNESBURG – President Cyril Ramaphosa announced Thursday night that Nelson Mandela Bay (NMB) had been declared a coronavirus hotspot due to an increase in COVID-19 infections in the subway over the past 14 days.
In a televised address to the nation, the president announced that a total of 800,872 people had contracted the virus in South Africa since March and said that about 92% of these people had recovered.
It also said that 21,803 people had died from COVID-19.
Ramaphosa acknowledged that there was clear evidence of a resurgence of infections in some parts of the country, especially the Eastern Cape and Western Cape. He said the increase in broadcasting was due to large gatherings and people traveling between provinces, among other factors.
“There are three areas of the country that account for the majority of these new infections. These are Nelson Mandela Bay and the Sarah Baartman District in the Eastern Cape and the Garden Route District in the Western Cape, ”Ramaphosa said.
READ: President Cyril Ramaphosa’s speech on containing COVID-19
He said that hospital admissions in these districts were on the rise and, in some cases, were like the first wave of COVID-19 infections.
“In the Eastern Cape and Western Cape, there has been an increase in both reported COVID-19 deaths and excess deaths. This should be a concern for everyone, ”said the president.
BEHAVIOR CHANGE CALL
At the same time, Ramaphosa warned that if the increase in infections were not contained in the provinces, it could lead to great suffering and death.
“We must change our behavior now to prevent a resurgence of the virus and manage outbreaks wherever they occur,” he said. “If we think of this pandemic as a forest fire, we have to quickly extinguish the outbreaks before they turn into hell.”
Beginning Friday, NMB residents can expect additional restrictions on movement, alcohol consumption and gatherings.
The president said the government would also create more capacity in hospitals and clinics in the areas. It would also expand testing, contact tracing, isolation and quarantine measures.
Closing restrictions to apply in the Nelson Mandela Bay metro as of December 4:
1. Curfew from 10pm to 4am. Except in emergencies, no person can be away from their place of residence between those times. The curfew does not apply to essential workers who are allowed to work during those hours.
2. The sale of alcohol in retail establishments will only be allowed between 10 am and 6 pm Monday through Thursday.
3. The consumption of alcohol in public spaces, such as beaches and parks, is strictly prohibited to avoid large social gatherings.
4. Meetings, including religious gatherings, cannot be attended by more than 100 people for indoor events and 250 for outdoor events.
“At any one time, the total number of people in a place cannot exceed more than 50% of the capacity of the place,” Ramaphosa said.
5. All post-funeral gatherings or “after-tears parties” are prohibited.
WATCH: These are the additional restrictions for the COVID-19 Nelson Mandela Bay hotspot
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