Move to alert Level 2 ‘is not a free for all’ – Ramaphosa

South Africa is set to move to the more relaxed alert Level 2 of Covid-19 restrictions from midnight, but President Cyril Ramaphosa said on Monday that this should not be seen as a “free for all” and warned that it comes with an “increased risk of transmission”.

In his weekly newsletter to the nation, Ramaphosa said the country is “still very much in the middle” of the deadly pandemic and called on South Africans to continue to take the virus seriously by maintaining social distancing, wearing a mask and washing hands amongst other precautions.

The president on Saturday announced that the nation would move to alert Level 2 of the lockdown from Tuesday, which included permitting inter-provincial travel, allowing family visits and the unbanning of tobacco use and alcohol.

Read: SA placed on Alert Level 2, effective August 17 at midnight

The move opens up pretty much most economic activity, however, there are still restrictions to international travel, the size of gatherings (at a maximum of 50 people) and people are still not allowed to attend major sporting events, concerts and conference.

In his latest newsletter, Ramaphosa noted that the move to alert Level 2 “will come as a relief to all South Africans who have had to live under stringent restrictions” since late March.

“It is a sign of the progress we are making in reducing new infections and demand on our health facilities. It is also a very important development as we strive to restart our economy,” he said.

“But it is too soon to celebrate,” he added.

“We are still very much in the middle of a deadly pandemic that has taken over 11 000 lives in South Africa alone. At more than half a million confirmed cases, we still have the fifth highest number of infections in the world,” said Ramaphosa.

He warned of the possibility of a resurgence of the disease.

“If we ever need a stark reminder of the need for vigilance, we should look to recent events thousands of kilometres away in New Zealand. Three months since the country was declared coronavirus-free, New Zealand is once again under lockdown. Although the latest outbreak was of relatively few cases, the government swiftly re-imposed lockdown restrictions,” the president pointed out.

“Similar restrictions have had to be reimposed in several parts of Europe as they experience a ‘second wave’ of infections. These experiences show just how swiftly things can change when it comes to Covid-19,” said Ramaphosa.

“It is a wake-up call to many among us who may harbour illusions that we are even close to seeing the end of this grave public health emergency,” he said.

“As the country moves to alert Level 2, many restrictions on social and economic activity have been lifted. With this comes increased risk of transmission,” he warned.

The move to a lower alert level comes in the wake of the number of new confirmed cases in South Africa continuing to decline.

“At the peak of the disease just one month ago, we were recording around 12 000 new cases a day. This has dropped to an average of around 5 000 a day over the past week. Our recovery rate stands at 80%,” noted Ramaphosa.

With the country moving to alert Level 2, the president stressed the “need to manage this risk and ensure the gains… made thus far in containing the pandemic’s spread are not reversed”.

Ramaphosa said the greatest threat to the health of nation now is complacency.

“It may be that we are now permitted to meet friends and family, to visit entertainment venues, to travel for leisure and to consume alcohol in restaurants, bars and taverns. But as the old adage goes, just because you can, doesn’t mean you should,” he said.

“Many people who have the coronavirus do not have symptoms and may not even know they are infected. This is a sobering reality because it means that any of us could be infected right now and could unwittingly infect others,” he added.

“This is particularly the case when visiting relatives, especially the elderly and those with pre-existing medical conditions that render them vulnerable to infection. It is also true for attending religious services or cultural activities,” said Ramaphosa.

Read: Task team set up to finalise urgent economic recovery plan

“In the days, weeks and months that lie ahead, we must urgently focus our efforts on recovery. Our economy and our society has suffered a great deal. As we return to economic activity across almost all industries – and work to repair the damage done – we have a responsibility to not let our guard down as individuals, employers, communities, families, professionals, workers and citizens,” he added.

“The move to alert Level 2 of the lockdown is not a ‘free for all.’ The rules on social distancing, mask wearing, social gatherings and international travel remain,” he stressed.