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Source: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021...third-covid-wave-returns-to-stricter-lockdown
South Africa faces third COVID wave, returns to stricter lockdown
Four of the nation’s nine provinces, including Gauteng which boasts Johannesburg and Pretoria, are already battling a third wave of infections.
30 May 2021
President Cyril Ramaphosa has announced that South Africa is to reimpose stricter measures against COVID-19 fearing the whole country will soon face a third wave of the pandemic.
Four of the nation’s nine provinces, including Gauteng which includes Johannesburg and Pretoria and has the biggest population, are already battling a third wave of infections, Ramaphosa said on Sunday.
“It may only be a matter of time before the country as a whole will have entered a third wave,” he said.
South Africa is officially the worst-hit country on the continent with more than 1.65 million cases and 56,363 deaths.
“The number of infections has begun to rise sharply in several parts of the country,” the president said as hospital entries also climb.
“Delaying the spread of the virus is especially important now to allow as many people as possible to be vaccinated before the third wave reaches its peak,” he added.
The country recorded 4,515 new cases over the past 24 hours and Ramaphosa said the “positivity rate” among tests conducted was now “a cause for concern”.
The restrictions, starting on Monday, will force non-essential establishments like restaurants, bars and fitness centres to close by 10pm local time (20:00 GMT) as the curfew will be extended by an hour to start at 11pm and end at 4am...
South Africa faces third COVID wave, returns to stricter lockdown
Four of the nation’s nine provinces, including Gauteng which boasts Johannesburg and Pretoria, are already battling a third wave of infections.
30 May 2021
President Cyril Ramaphosa has announced that South Africa is to reimpose stricter measures against COVID-19 fearing the whole country will soon face a third wave of the pandemic.
Four of the nation’s nine provinces, including Gauteng which includes Johannesburg and Pretoria and has the biggest population, are already battling a third wave of infections, Ramaphosa said on Sunday.
“It may only be a matter of time before the country as a whole will have entered a third wave,” he said.
South Africa is officially the worst-hit country on the continent with more than 1.65 million cases and 56,363 deaths.
“The number of infections has begun to rise sharply in several parts of the country,” the president said as hospital entries also climb.
“Delaying the spread of the virus is especially important now to allow as many people as possible to be vaccinated before the third wave reaches its peak,” he added.
The country recorded 4,515 new cases over the past 24 hours and Ramaphosa said the “positivity rate” among tests conducted was now “a cause for concern”.
The restrictions, starting on Monday, will force non-essential establishments like restaurants, bars and fitness centres to close by 10pm local time (20:00 GMT) as the curfew will be extended by an hour to start at 11pm and end at 4am...