South Africa on Thursday announced that the national lockdown due to COVID-19 pandemic will be phased out , with some restrictions likely to remain in force for a very long time.
During a press briefing, Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma said, “When we do stop the lockdown, we cannot do it abruptly – that today it’s complete lockdown and tomorrow it’s open completely. We have to phase it in, so that there is an orderly move towards normality”.
“As of today, the total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in South Africa is 2,605,” said Health Minister Zweli Mkhize.
On Wednesday, South Africa recorded 2,506 confirmed cases, meaning there has been an increase of 99 cases overnight.
Mkhize also said 903 people had recovered, adding the heath sector is encouraged by the increasing number of patients recovering from COVID-19.
The Minister was speaking as South Africans prepared to enter a two-week extension of a 21-day lockdown that would have ended on Thursday.
The lockdown regulations prohibit local and international travel; gatherings of more than 50 people, including at funerals; and only essential services may operate under limited conditions.
Citizens also have to remain in their homes and may venture out only to buy food or for medical reasons
South Africa, which has the largest number of coronavirus cases in Africa, is rolling out mass testing of the population in an effort to curb the rising number of infections.
The novel coronavirus has spread to at least 185 countries and regions since emerging in Wuhan, China last December, with the US and Europe now the hardest-hit areas.
The US has the highest death toll in the world, followed by Italy with 22,170 dead although its population is just a fifth of that of the US.
Spain has recorded 19,130 deaths, followed by France with 17,920.
Meanwhile, the number of confirmed coronavirus cases around the world topped 2 million Wednesday, according to data from Johns Hopkins University, with more than 143,000 confirmed deaths as of Thursday night.