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By IOL, Reuters 
1 hour ago
Durban – South Africa will enter a tight level 3 lockdown starting at midnight tonight, President Cyril Ramaphosa said on Monday.
We want to minimize the risk of superprocessor events, he said.
All indoor and outdoor gatherings will be prohibited with some exceptions.
The nationwide curfew will run from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m., the president said.
Ramaphosa also announced that the sale of alcohol at points of sale and the consumption of alcohol will not be allowed on site.
The ban on consuming alcohol in public spaces such as parks and beaches is maintained, he said.
From now on it is mandatory that everyone wears a mask in a public space. A person who does not wear a cloth mask that covers the nose and mouth in a public place is committing a crime, Ramaphosa said.
“A person who does not wear a mask could be arrested and prosecuted. When found guilty, they will be punished with a fine or with a prison sentence for a period not exceeding six months or with a fine and a prison sentence ”, he said.
Ramaphosa was addressing the nation about developments in relation to the country’s response to the coronavirus pandemic, as South Africa surpassed one million cumulative cases of Covid-19 on Sunday.
The president said more than 50,000 new cases have been reported since Christmas Eve. The rapid rise in infections is being driven by wide-spread events such as family and year-end functions.
“We just let our guard down and now we are paying the price,” Ramaphosa said.
In addition to regulations, a handful of additional areas have been declared hotspots.
In the Eastern Cape, the Chris Hani district, Buffalo City, the Amathole district, the Alfred Nzo district and the OR Tambo district have been declared hotspots.
These, Ramaphosa said, are in addition to the Nelson Mandela Bay subway and the Sarah Baartman district.
In KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, Umgungundlovu district, Ugu district, Harry Gwala district, King Cetshwayo district and Ilembe district have been zoned as hotspots, while in Gauteng, the district of West Rand, Tshwane, Ekurhuleni and Johannesburg have been declared hotspots.
In the Western Cape, the West Coast District, Overberg District, Winelands District, Cape Town, Central Karoo District are hotspots. This is in addition to the Garden Route district.
In the northwest, the Bojanala district is declared as a hotspot and in Limpopo, the Waterberg district and the Capricorn district are declared as hotspots for the coronavirus.
Ramaphosa also announced the closure of all beaches, dams, lakes, rivers, public parks and public swimming pools in the areas of interest.
“The last time I spoke to you, we announced that certain beaches in our country would be closed on some days and others would remain open.
“As infections continue to increase, the cabinet, following the advice of the National Coronavirus Command Council, has decided that all beaches, dams, lakes, rivers, public parks and public swimming pools in hotspot areas will be closed to the public. from tomorrow”.
In his passionate plea, Ramaphosa said: “If we did not understand before, now we should see how quickly a situation can change for the worse. Our situation has changed for the worse.”
He further said: “We can, we will and we must defeat this pandemic,” adding that this can only be achieved through a collective effort.
The government has also indicated that the acquisition of the Covid-19 vaccine is well under way.
“South Africa is part of the global pooled procurement initiative coordinated by the Covid-19 Vaccines Global Access Facility, commonly known as COVAX.
We can confirm that we have signed the agreement with COVAX and that the Solidarity Fund has made the initial payment of R283 million to the facility, “Ramaphosa said.
He further said: “This New Year’s Eve will be different from what we have seen before. Light a candle in memory of those who have lost their lives, in homage to those who are on the front lines and who work tirelessly to protect us from harm, in recognition of the great sacrifices that have been made in the past year, and in the confidence that next year will bring health, peace and hope to our people. “
The long-awaited speech by the president follows the intense meetings held on Sunday with the National Coronavirus Command Council and the special sessions on Monday of the Coordinating Council of the President and the Cabinet.
Over the weekend, the number of SA Covid-19 cases surpassed the one million mark with a cumulative total of 1,004,413 cases recorded on Sunday.
The death toll in the country also rose by 214 on Sunday to a total of 26,735.
MESS
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