South Africa, the country most affected by the coronavirus continent, crossed the million mark over the weekend since the epidemic began. The country is currently experiencing another wave with a variant of the virus appearing to be more contagious and responsible for most new cases. New restrictions were announced on Monday, December 28th.
as reported from Johannesburg, Claire Bargelès
The record for 14,000 daily cases was reached last week, and South Africa now has more than 26,000 deaths. While the celebration of the end of the year and the summer holidays generate gatherings as well as easing of sanitary conditions, the government has decided to tighten the screws a few days before New Year.
Cyril Ramaphosa addressed the nation on Monday night. Despite this supposedly festive time of year, the president, visibly moved, said there was “little to celebrate this year” while the situation is increasingly worrying.
Masks are becoming increasingly rare
Since the beginning of the month, the government has been content to regularly remind people of the importance of barrier movements. But masks continued to be rarer, in public places and parties have multiplied at the end of the year and sometimes gathered hundreds of people.
Acceleration of infections and the appearance of this variant of the virus will therefore have pushed the government to harden its tone. “We have failed our guard and we are now paying the price,” the head of state said.
Level 3 alarm mode and stricter measures
From Monday evening midnight, the country – until now in level 1 in health alarm – returns to level 3, which implies the return of stricter measures. First is the ban on the sale of alcohol, which has been reintroduced to prevent hospital beds that are already submerged from accidents.
With a few exceptions, gatherings, indoors or outdoors, are again banned, and the curfew extends from 6 p.m. 21:00 to The president thus urges South Africans to find other ways to celebrate New Year’s Eve than to go to a party. Finally, he states that it is not a criminal act not to wear a mask in a public place.
On the other hand, Cyril Ramaphosa did not report any restrictions on movement or even closure of borders.
► See also: South Africa is facing a new variant of Covid-19
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