Ramaphosa moves SA to level 1 restrictions

South Africa has signed an agreement with Johnson & Johnson to secure 11 million Covid-19 vaccine doses, President Cyril Ramaphosa said in an address to the nation on Sunday.

Ramaphosa said 2.8 million of those doses would be delivered in the second quarter, with the rest spread over the rest of the year. Unlike most vaccines approved so far, the Johnson & Johnson vaccine does not require a second or “booster” shot.

Ramaphosa added that the cabinet had decided to ease restrictions on movement and activity due to a decline in coronavirus infections, downgrading the national alert level from 3 to 1.