Ramaphosa to address South Africa this evening on lockdown

President Cyril Ramaphosa will address the nation at 20h00 on Tuesday evening (15 June) on developments in the country’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The president’s address follows a meeting of the National Coronavirus Command Counci (NCCCl), the president’s Coordinating Council and Cabinet.

“As South Africa rolls out its national Covid-19 vaccination programme, government and social partners are continuously monitoring infection, treatment and patient recovery rates, as well as compliance with health regulations and other prevention measures.

“The president’s address will be broadcast and streamed on a range of platforms that are accessible to South Africans and international audience,” the presidency said.

President @CyrilRamaphosa will address the nation at 20h00 today, Tuesday, 15 June 2021, on developments in the country’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. pic.twitter.com/lEriqUuki5

— Presidency | South Africa 🇿🇦 (@PresidencyZA) June 15, 2021

Ramaphosa is expected to announce a move to a level 3 lockdown as the country sees a surge in Covid-19 cases caused by a third wave of the virus and varying strains..

BusinessDay reported that the government’s Ministerial Advisory Committee on Covid-19 recommended a return to lockdown level 3, imposing similar restrictions to those implemented in December during the second wave of infections.

This would mean an earlier evening curfew, a reduction on the size of public gatherings, and restrictions around the sale of alcohol.

South Africa reported 5,552 new cases of Covid-19 on Monday (14 June), taking the total reported to 1,752,630.

Deaths have reached 57,879, while recoveries have climbed to 1,611,447, leaving the country with a balance of 83,304 active cases. The total number of vaccines administered is 1,777,288.

Read: Ramaphosa in lockdown meetings as advisors push for move to level 3 for South Africa