Staff Reporter
Most parts of South Africa could be moved to alert Level 3 by the end of this month as the government tries to strike a balance between slowly reopening the economy and saving lives amid the COVID-19 pandemic, President Cyril Ramaphosa has said.
In a televised national address to update the country on the latest initiatives by the government to confront the pandemic, Ramaphosa said consultations are underway to prepare for Level 3 restrictions from the end of May.
He said areas with a high prevalence of the disease may however stay at the current level.
“Easing the lockdown must be done with extreme caution to prevent the spikes in COVID-19 infections we have seen elsewhere in the world,” said Ramaphosa.
“Government’s differentiated approach will allow economic activity to resume while protecting public health . . . For now, infections are concentrated in metropoles, municipalities and certain districts,” he added.
This means hotspots are likely to be kept under stricter measures.
The president would not give details on how this will be done, only saying more details will be made available soon.
More details are also expected in the coming days announcing the easing of some of the Level 4 regulations.
“In the coming days, we will also be announcing certain changes to Level 4 regulations to expand permitted business activities in the retail space and e-commerce and reduce restrictions on exercise,” said the president.
Ramaphosa said while the last seven weeks have been difficult for both individuals and businesses, the lockdown was absolutely necessary.
He said the infection rate would have soared and the country’s healthcare system would have been overwhelmed.
Ramaphosa objected to some suggestions that the government’s approach in dealing with the coronavirus had been at the expense of people’s livelihoods, saying the state’s strategic approach has been based on saving lives and preserving livelihoods.
He said the key objective has always been to slow down the infection rate through a number of interventions.
“Without the lockdown and the other measures we have taken, 80 000 South Africans would have been infected by the coronavirus by now. The death toll could have been eight times higher than what it is now had we not implemented the lockdown,” he said.
Over the coming weeks, the government will meet with stakeholders in high-risk areas to map the way forward and not risk human life.
The new level, according to Ramaphosa, will allow for a wider opening of the economy.
Meanwhile, South Africa’s confirmed COVID-19 cases jumped by 724 to 12 074.
At least 219 people have succumbed to the disease across the country.
The Free State now has 137 confirmed cases, with six deaths and 108 recoveries.