Ramaphosa announces stricter level 3 lockdown

PRETORIA, June 15 (ANA) – South Africa has moved to a stricter levUIel three lockdown level as the country experiences an exponential rise in Covid-19 infections and deaths, President Cyril Ramaphosa has announced on Tuesday.

“The massive surge in news infections means that we must again tighten restrictions on the movement of persons and gatherings,” the president said in his address to the nation.

“We need to enforce compliance more rigorously and we need to take firmer action on those who do not adhere to the regulations that save our lives.

“In view of the rising infections, Cabinet has therefore decided to move the country to Alert level three. This will take effect later this evening, once the regulations have been gazette. This means that the hours of curfew will start at 10pm and end at 4am,” the president said.

Ramaphosa said non-essential establishments such as restaurants, bars, and fitness centres must close by 9pm, to allow employees and patrons to get home before the start of the curfew.

“All gatherings will be limited to a maximum of 50 people indoors, and 100 people outdoors,” Ramaphosa said.

Earlier on Tuesday, South Africa’s Covid-19 death toll climbed 58,041 after 162 more deaths were recorded from the previous day.

This as a total of 8,436 new Covid-19 cases have been identified in South Africa, the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) says.

This represents a 17.8 percent positivity rate the NICD notes.

“This brings the total number of laboratory-confirmed cases to 1,761,066,” the NICD said in a statement.

In addition, 12,270,842 tests have been conducted in both public and private sectors.

The increase in new infections comes amid the NICD reporting that the South Africa’s death toll from the virus is 58,041.

– African News Agency (ANA); Editing by Naomi Mackay