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President Cyril Ramaphosa will chair a virtual meeting at the President’s Coordinating Council on Tuesday (September 15) ahead of the country’s expected move towards a level 1 lockdown.
A statement issued by the presidency indicates that the coordinating council will be co-chaired by president and vice president David Mabuza, and will also include ministers, prime ministers and leaders of the South African Association of Local Governments.
The presidency confirmed that the meeting will focus on a report from the National Coronavirus Command Council (NCCC) on the country’s response to the pandemic. News 24 reports that a move towards a possible level 1 lockdown is expected to form part of the discussions.
Ramaphosa is also expected to chair a virtual meeting of the National Labor and Economic Development Council (NEDLAC) on progress toward finalizing a national economic recovery plan.
“The social partners, government, business, workers and the community, have been meeting for the past few weeks to develop a common approach to rebuilding the economy after the coronavirus pandemic,” said the presidency.
“Nedlac is a platform for dialogue that brings together social partners in the development of effective policies to promote economic growth and increase participation in economic decision-making and social equity in South Africa.”
the City press reports that Ramaphosa is expected to address the nation later this week, where it is anticipated that he will announce further easing of the blockade.
Opening
Professor Salim Abdool Karim, chair of the ministerial advisory committee on Covid-19, says South Africa should be able relieve a number of restrictions when the government announces a move towards a level 1 blockade.
Karim said it was no longer about preventing certain activities, but about ensuring that ‘super spreader’ events occur that could spark a second resurgence in coronavirus cases.
“In those environments, we have to have a situation where we reduce our risk of a super spread event. But issues like curfew and restrictions on alcohol have largely served their purpose.
“They were put in place to protect hospitals, we don’t have a problem with hospital space and beds at the moment so they are less critical at this point or not even necessary.”
Karim said the government may also consider opening international travel as there are key guidelines to reopen safely.
Read: 4 New Lockout Changes For South Africa
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