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- President Cyril Ramaphosa is expected to address a "family meeting" on Sunday night.
- Only four provinces are currently experiencing a "third wave" of Covid-19 infections.
- Stricter lockdown measures, such as a longer curfew and limits on gatherings, are expected.
President Cyril Ramaphosa is expected to announce stricter lockdown measures in another address to the nation at 19:00 on Sunday, the Presidency has confirmed.
He is expected to announce the country will go up from alert Level 1 to an adjusted alert Level 2.
Presidential spokesperson Tyrone Seale said in a statement this followed meetings by the Cabinet and President's Co-ordinating Council (PCC) on Sunday as well as the National Coronavirus Command Council earlier in the week.
"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," Seale added.
President @CyrilRamaphosa to address the nation https://t.co/pDBtEMVJbz
— Presidency | South Africa ???? (@PresidencyZA) May 30, 2021
With four out of the nine provinces having entered this third wave, the PCC meeting on Sunday heard proposals from Gauteng and the Western Cape about taking a differentiated approach, with stricter measures in provinces where infections were rising rapidly.
Gauteng, the North West, Free State and Northern Cape were currently experiencing a new surge in infections, the meeting heard.
READ | Covid-19: Harsh curbs coming
Cooperative Governance and Tradition Affairs Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma has proposed the start of the curfew should be brought forward by an hour to 23:00 and the number for indoor gatherings be brought down from 250 to 100.
Restrictions on outdoor gatherings, which currently permit 500 people, could be tightened to 250 people.
Dlamini-Zuma said raising the country to alert Level 2 would also send out a message to people to be more careful.
Ramaphosa is said to have told the council that consideration would be given to the differentiated approach, but that stronger communication and messaging were also necessary.
