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Ramaphosa: Stricter rules for NMB hotspot, Garden Route to be assessed
The president has been widely expected to announce stricter lockdown regulations as the holiday season approaches.
There are fears of a further spread of infections in view of a Covid-19 resurgence specifically in the Western and Eastern Cape.
"We may end up in January in the midst of a very substantial, national second wave" warned Professor Salim Abdool Karim (Head, Ministerial Advisory Committee on Covid-19).
RELATED: 'Holidaymakers will take Covid-19 home with them from W Cape and E Cape'
Ramaphosa's address follows Wednesday's special sitting of Cabinet to consider the latest recommendations of the National Coronavirus Command Council (NCCC).
Nelson Mandela Bay in the Eastern Cape has been declared a coronavirus hotspot.
The Garden Route in the Western Cape and the Sarah Baartman district in the Eastern Cape are still to be assessed.
Health Minister Zweli Mkhize will be visiting the area "in the coming days".
Additional restrictions come into affect in Nelson Mandela Bay at midnight.
These include:
- an extended curfew from 10 pm to 4 am
- alcohol sales from retail outlets restricted to Monday-Thursday from 10 am - 6 pm
- no on-site consumption of alcohol at licensed establishments after 10 pm
- no consumption of alcohol in public spaces
Stricter rules were also announced limiting the number of people allowed at gatherings.
The NCCC decided in consultation with traditional leaders that the summer initiation school season may go ahead in the Eastern Cape under a risk-adjusted plan.
Because of the high rate of infections in the metro however, Nelson Mandela Bay is excluded.
The National State of Disaster will be extended to 15 January 2021.
Current Level 1 restrictions remain in place for the rest of the country
As additional restrictions come into force in hotspot areas, it is essential for the rest of the country to continue observing safety protocols to prevent new Covid-19 hotspots from emerging.
President Cyril Ramaphosa
Those who break the law will face the consequences.
President Cyril Ramaphosa
Watch the president's address below:
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