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State of disaster extended yet again

GK CRONJE

14 January 2021

The ban on alcohol remains in place, as allowing the sale of liquor would result in a spike in trauma cases. Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, has now announced the extended the national state of disaster for another month.

Suzuki Ermelo (WEB) 22 September 2020.jp

Existing level 3 lockdown restrictions were recently extended until further notice, following an address to the nation by President Cyril Ramaphosa earlier this week. In his address, Ramaphosa stated that the COVID-19 pandemic is at the worst stage it has ever been in South Africa, and he stressed the importance of compliance with lockdown restrictions.

Minister for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA), Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, has now announced the extended the national state of disaster for another month. Dalmini-Zuma announced the change in a new government gazette, which stated that the national state of disaster will remain in place until 15 February 2021, and cited the “need to continue augmenting the existing legislation and contingency arrangements undertaken by organs of state to address the impact of the disaster” as the reason for the extension. While South Africa remains under lockdown restrictions the national state of disaster must remain in place, as the legislation enforcing restrictions on citizens is promulgated under the National State of Disaster Act. The ban on alcohol remains in place, as allowing the sale of liquor would result in a spike in trauma cases.

Government will use this period to ready the deployment of a comprehensive vaccination strategy that aims to reach all parts of the country. “It will be far more extensive than our HIV treatment programme or even our national, provincial and local elections in terms of the number of people who have to be reached within a short space of time,” Ramaphosa said.

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