South African President Cyril Ramaphosa read the riot act to those flouting rules aimed at curbing the spread of COVID-19, as he reinstated a ban on liquor sales to reduce alcohol-related hospital admissions.
Many South Africans are failing to wear masks in crowded spaces, attending large public gatherings and having “drinking sprees,” in violation of government regulations, Ramaphosa said on Sunday in a televised address.
The behaviors are examples of “recklessness” at a time when the number of virus cases is nearing a peak, he said.
Photo: AFP
“It is concerning that many are downplaying the seriousness of this virus,” he said. “We are in the midst of a deadly pandemic and we must act accordingly. We must all be responsible. The truth is we are not helpless in the face of this storm.”
COVID-19 infections in South Africa have surged since lockdown restrictions were eased last month to allow millions of people to return to work, with 276,242 cases and 4,079 deaths confirmed by Sunday, a quarter of them in the past week.
The government expects the disease to peak by the end of September and intensive-care units in all nine provinces to run out of beds.
The blanket ban on alcohol sales is intended to reduce trauma cases and ease pressure on hospitals. Effective yesterday a curfew was reimposed from 9pm to 4am and the wearing of masks is to be strictly enforced.
Hospitals in some provinces hardest hit by the pandemic are already under tremendous pressure, and the nation faces a shortage of more than 12,000 heathcare personnel, Ramaphosa said.
“We have heard of instances where people who are infected have been turned away from health facilities due to a lack of beds or essential supplies,” he said. “This is deeply worrying. It means we have to move with even greater urgency to strengthen our strategy to manage the peak of infections.”
South Africa reported its first COVID-19 case on March 5 and it went into lockdown 22 days later, with only essential services allowed to keep operating.
While the rules were eased on May 1 to allow some industries to reopen, people were ordered to remain home at night.
The curfew was abolished on June 1 and sales of alcohol for home consumption were allowed to resume four days a week. The easing, which also saw millions more people return to work, coincided with a surge in alcohol-related crime and traffic accidents.
The South African Liquor Brand Owners Association on Saturday said that any further ban on sales would have a “disastrous” economic impact.
South Africa’s case fatality rate of 1.5 percent is among the world’s lowest, with more than 134,000 having recovered from the disease.
The latest rules include the following:
‧ Antibody testing is to be introduced to estimate the prevalence of the virus.
‧ A national state of disaster has been extended until Aug. 15, and bans on family visits and social gatherings have been retained.
‧ Parks will be allowed to reopen for exercise, while all auctions will be allowed to resume.
‧ Taxis can be filled to 100 percent of capacity for short trips and 70 percent for long trips.
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