The South African President, Cyril Ramaphosa yesterday warned that the country’s COVID-19 cases are going to get much worse as he announced that the lockdown measure is to be eased.
According to the President, a third of the country’s more than 22,000 cases had been recorded in the last week.
He added that the current lockdown in the country could not be sustained. From June 1, more restrictions would be lifted, he announced.
Ramaphosa’s statement came after a mining company in South Africa said 164 workers at the gold mine near Johannesburg had been tested positive for COVID-19.
He added that overnight curfew will be suspended, more businesses will be opened and school to restart.
Limited sales of alcohol will be allowed for home consumption only and “only under strict conditions on specified days and for limited hours”, the president said.
However, Ramaphosa said the ban on the sales of cigarettes will remain “due to the health risks associated with smoking”.
He went further that there would be a face reopening of schools because “we are concerned about the growth and development of our children and that an entire generation of learners should not be permanently disadvantaged this pandemic”.
But “no parent will be forced to send their child to school if they are worried about safety at school”.
Before now, pressures have been on the president to ease lockdown measures and restart the economy. He, however, warned the public of the worst ahead of the country.
He said, “We should expect that these numbers will rise even further and even faster,
“The coronavirus pandemic in South Africa is going to get much worse before it gets better”.
Scientists warned last week that 40,000 people could die of the pandemic in South Africa by the end of the year
Operations in the Mponeng Mine had been halted after 164 cases of COVID-19 was detected. Most of those who tested positive were not showing any symptoms. The Mponeng mine is the deepest gold mine in the world.
