The famous ‘stay home’ sign in Cape Town, which appeared during the first COVID-19 lockdown – Photo: Odyssey Guide / Twitter
The famous ‘stay home’ sign in Cape Town, which appeared during the first COVID-19 lockdown – Photo: Odyssey Guide / Twitter
South Africa is on the brink of uncharted territory. COVID-19 cases continue to surge, as the third wave threatens to surpass previous peaks: Gauteng has already reached a record number of infections, and with experts arguing for a shift towards Level 4 lockdown restrictions in the province, could the same rules be applied to the rest of SA?
Government to discuss lockdown laws ‘this weekend’
Acting Health Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi-Ngubane has confirmed that her department will meet with scientific officials TOMORROW, in a move which will see further lockdown interventions discussed. The implementation of further measures – potentially taking South Africa into the waters of ‘Level 4 restrictions’ – will then be announced.
“We will be meeting with the Ministerial Advisory Committee (MAC) on Saturday to discuss critical areas they are raising and interventions that we need to make as national government and as provinces, to slow down the spread of the COVID-19 third wave.”
Acting Health Minister, Mmamoloko Kubayi-Ngubane says she will be meeting with the Ministerial advisory committee tomorrow to discuss the response needed tor the #Covid19 surge the country is experiencing at the moment.
— Heidi Giokos (@HeidiGiokos) June 25, 2021
Can we expect a return to Level 4?
Another family meeting beckons, and it cannot come a moment too soon. The minister’s decision to only hold talks on Saturday – rather than doing so immediately – has also come under fire. Within the space of a month, South Africa could find itself dropping from Level 1 to Level 4, and it’s a sign of just how quickly this resurgence has spread.
Many South Africans will still hold traumatic memories of Level 4 restrictions. It’s one of the two versions of a ‘hard lockdown’, preventing people from meeting others and placing strict limits on permissions for leaving the house. Last year, rules such as the ‘three-hour jogging window’ and the ‘cooked chicken ban’ caused uproar.
It’s not immediately clear if such frivolous laws will return, but you can be certain that there will be a further clampdown on gatherings, social events and personal liberties following the MAC discussions on Saturday. Whatever version of lockdown we’re placed into next, the remainder of winter promises to be a bumpy ride.
