Staff Reporter
President Cyril Ramaphosa will address the nation tonight evening at 2000 hours.
The address is expected to focus on developments on South Africa’s risk-adjusted strategy to manage the spread of COVID-19.
A statement issued by the Office of the President said the address follows a number of meetings of the cabinet and the National Coronavirus Command Council (NCCC).
Ramaphosa’s address will be broadcast live on television and radio and will be streamed live on a range of online platforms.
Media reports in the past few days said the NCCC was expected to recommend that cabinet close schools across South Africa as the country’s COVID-19 cases continue to rise sharply.
Timeslive reported that schools will close for three weeks, citing sources within the teacher unions that attended a Department of Education meeting on the evening of 22 July.
As of Wednesday, South Africa had recorded 13 150 new confirmed cases of COVID-19, bringing the total to 394 948, with 229 175 recoveries.
There were 572 new COVID-19 related deaths and the national total now stands at 5 940.
The Free State recorded 986 new cases of COVID-19.
The provincial total now stands at 12 332 and there are 1 821 recoveries.
Mangaung Metro has 372 new cases, Fezile Dabi 129, Thabo Mofutsanyana 155, Lejweleputswa 288 and Xhariep 35.
There are seven unallocated cases.
A total of 62 deaths have been reported in the province to date.
