President Cyril Ramaphosa is expected to address the nation in an occasion that’s been termed a family meeting.
Ramaphosa family meeting: What will be discussed tonight?
This comes a day after Ramaphosa chaired a meeting with the President’s Coordinating Council (PCC) on the issue of spikes in coronavirus (Covid-19) infections in recent weeks.
Particularly, the Western and Eastern Cape have been identified as hotspot regions responsible for the resurgence we are seeing in Covid-19 positive cases.
With private and public hospitals at maximum capacity in dealing with sickly patients, worries are growing that any more momentum gained by the virus could tip things over.
South Africa, according to data released by the World Health Organisation (WHO), leads the continent with the most active Covid-19 cases and is currently 16th in the world on total infections.
All of this data suggests that Ramaphosa may announce stricter measures in dealing with Covid-19 spikes in the Cape provinces, as well as Gauteng.
A mini-lockdown on the cards? – What we know
Already, the Western Cape has escalated preparations for a ‘mini-lockdown’. Premier Alan Winde revealed, on Monday, that most likely, hotspot districts and municipalities in the province will be prohibited from hosting superspreader events (weddings, funerals, social and cultural events) for six days.
The full extent of the mini-lockdown and what it means for the free movement of people is still unclear. It’s also been reported that Ramaphosa will institute stricter regulations on alcohol sales.
However, this could not be verified. All of these unanswered questions will be addressed by the president on Thursday evening in a public service announcement that will be broadcast on every news and SABC channel.