Staff Reporter
Lejweleputswa district and Mangaung Metro in the Free State will be among some of the areas in the country that the government will be closely monitoring to ensure a reduction in the spread of COVID-19.
This was announced by President Cyril Ramaphosa in a televised national address to give an update on the country’s efforts to contain the spread of the acute respiratory disease.
The two regions have been recording a steady but sustained increase in COVID-19 cases and there are fears this could lead to a second wave of the deadly disease which has claimed about 1 600 lives in the province and just over 20 000 in the country.
“We are . . . closely monitoring developments in areas that are experiencing higher than average rates of new infections,” said Ramaphosa.
“The areas where we are experiencing higher than average rates of new infections include Lejweleputswa and Mangaung in the Free State, Frances Baard and Pixley ka Seme in the Northern Cape and the Garden Route and Cape Town Metro in the Western Cape.”
Lejweleputswa, a largely mining and farming district, has recorded about 12 000 confirmed cases of the coronavirus disease while Mangaung has about 27 000 cases.
The total for the Free State stands at about 57 000 cases with over 1 500 deaths. There have been about 43 000 recoveries.
Nationally, 742 394 coronavirus cases have been recorded with a recovery rate of over 92 percent.
The president also announced the country will remain under the state of disaster until mid-December.
“To ensure that we can keep all the necessary prevention measures in place, we are, as required by the Disaster Management Act, extending the National State of Disaster by another month to the 15th of December 2020,” he said.
Ramaphosa said all limits to the sale of alcohol will be lifted and the rest of the country’s borders that had remained closed will now be opened.
“As we transition to a new phase in our response, the only way forward is a rapid and sustained economic recovery,” he said.
“We are therefore working to enable all parts of the economy to return to full operation as quickly and as safely as possible.
“We are amending the Alert Level 1 regulations to restore the normal trading hours for the sale of alcohol at retail outlets.
“We are also opening up international travel to all countries subject to the necessary health protocols and the presentation of a negative COVID-19 certificate.”
The president urged people to remain vigilant and observe all health protocols particularly during the upcoming festive season when most people travel to other parts of the country and tend to gather socially.
Ramaphosa said such activities, if not undertaken responsibly, pose the greatest immediate threat to the management of the pandemic.
“Wearing a mask every time we leave home is far, far better than a second wave,” he said.
“It is also far better than a return to lockdown and better than having to shut down the economy.
“A number of outbreaks have been linked to indoor gatherings where there is poor ventilation and no social distancing.”