By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
Deputy President David Mabuza met with the National Coronavirus Command Council (NCCC) on Tuesday to discuss whether South Africa would need to impose stricter lockdown regulations over the festive season as the new Omicron variant was driving the fourth wave.
Mabuza took over all responsibilities from President Cyril Ramaphosa for the week after Ramaphosa tested positive for Covid-19 on Sunday.
The NCCC announced on Thursday that South Africa will remain on level 1 lockdown for the moment, despite the fourth wave of Covid-19 infections currently spreading across various provinces.
They said that, according to scientific studies, this virus is spreading quicker than in previous waves, but the rates of hospitalisations and deaths remain relatively low.
The Council has directed the Department of Health to closely monitor the rising Covid-19 infections, hospitalisations, mortality and recovery rates while the Minister of Health, Dr Joe Phaahla urged South Africans to get vaccinated before heading to their holiday destinations.
“We call upon all travellers, especially those who are unvaccinated or partly vaccinated coming from areas declared hotspots, to get vaccinated before hitting the roads to protect their families and friends they will be visiting during this period associated with large social gatherings like parties and weddings, which can be ‘super spreader’ events that carry a huge risk of transmission of the virus.”
“The NCCC has reflected on the current Covid-19 situation and deliberated on a number of recommendations tabled by the Department of Health as part of safety measures to prevent a possible surge in Covid-19 infections during the festive period, which is associated with all sorts of social gatherings like parties and weddings, which can be ‘super spreader’ events,” Phaahla said in a statement.
Phaahla said that the department will continue to closely monitor the situation throughout the festive period and will make the necessary recommendations to the NCCC in the best interest of people`s lives and livelihoods.
Vaccination sites will remain operational throughout the festive period and pop-up sites will be erected in public places like malls and roadblocks.