Coronavirus: Mixed reaction trails easing COVID-19 lockdown in South Africa

16 Août 2020

Cape Town, South Africa, August 16 (Infosplusgabon) – There has been mixed reaction to President Cyril Ramaphosa’s decision to lift most lockdown restrictions after announcing that South Africa’s COVID-19 situation is showing signs of stabilising.

With 583,000 confirmed cases – the highest in Africa – Ramaphosa on Saturday night said it is imperative that all South Africans must now work towards stabilising the economy which has been in freefall since the pandemic began.

However, the State of Disaster was again extended for 30 days on Saturday, but the ban on alcohol and tobacco sales, as well as opening beaches and parks was permitted.

The official opposition Democratic Alliance (DA) on Sunday said these restrictions should have been lifted months ago, along with every other regulation that has curbed economic activity during lockdown.

“The government has caused devastation on an unimaginable scale to the lives of ordinary South Africans, while they themselves have not experienced a single day without income. Throughout the lockdown crisis, they could not have been more out of touch with the people whose lives they destroyed.

The only thing the lockdown achieved was the devastation of our economy and the loss of millions of jobs,” said DA leader, John Steenhuisen.

Martin Kingston, the CEO of Business for South Africa, said the sectors of the economy that have been prevented from full participation in the economy need to be enabled to participate as a matter of urgency because jobs and businesses are on the line.

Health Minister Zweli Mkhize, said the COVID-19 surge has happened in numbers lower than originally predicted, but that the risk of a possible second wave of infections remains real.

FIN/ INFOSPLUSGABON/OKG/GABON2020

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