South Africa re-instates lockdown as Covid-19 conditions skyrocket
Southern African President Cyril Ramaphosa over Sunday re-imposed a nighttime curfew and suspended liquor revenue as coronavirus infections spiked and the health system risked appearing overwhelmed.
Coronavirus infection numbers had in recent days skyrocketed with in least 12,000 attacks recorded daily, translating to around 500 infections every hour, severely straining health care resources.
South Africa may be the worst-affected nation on the continent with 276,242 registered circumstances including 4,079 deaths as of Sunday.
Ramaphosa warned that the "coronavirus storm" South Africa faced was "much fiercer and more destructive than any we've known before."
"It is stretching our solutions and our resolve with their limits," he said.
"As we head towards the peak of attacks, it is essential that we usually do not burden our treatment centers and hospitals with alcohol-related injuries that could have been prevented," Ramaphosa said in a televised address to the country.
"We've therefore decided that as a way to conserve hospital ability, the sales, dispensing and distribution of liquor will be suspended with instant effect," Ramaphosa said.
South Africa's first booze ban, implemented in March was lifted on June 1.
But on Sunday Ramaphosa rescinded the approach, saying "there is currently clear data that the resumption of liquor sales has led to substantial pressure being placed on hospitals, incorporating trauma and ICU systems, due to automobile accidents, violence together with trauma that's alcohol-induced."
He also ordered a good curfew from 9pm (1900GMT) until 4am (0200GMT) beginning on Monday.
Ramaphosa also outlawed spouse and children visits and social events which were blamed for helping the virus spread.
His administration would from now tighten the regulations on the required wearing of face masks.
Ramaphosa said the government was ramping up the health care system where there are actually 28,000 medical center beds reserved for coronavirus clients.
But the program is desperately brief of staff, with at least 12,000 extra largely nurses, doctors and physiotherapists nonetheless required.
"We have heard about instances where persons who are infected have been turned away from health facilities due to too little beds or essential supplies. This is deeply worrying," he explained.
Health experts have predicted that South Africa's coronavirus outbreak can peak between July and November and is projected to lay claim at least 40,000 lives.
The primary opposition Democratic Alliance (DA) party said the alcohol ban and a night-time curfew were a distraction from the state's failure to bolster treatment and testing capacity.
"These ineffective gimmicks happen to be an effort to obscure the reality of our situation: that the national federal government provides completely and utterly wasted South Africa's long and crippling lockdown," said DA leader John Steenhuisen found in a statement. - AFP
