The National State of Disaster has been extended until October 15. The decision was made by Cabinet on Thursday, September 10. The decision to extend was made to allow for the management of the spread of COVID-19 to continue.
“Cabinet welcomes the drop in the number of new confirmed COVID-19 cases over the past few weeks and the improved recovery rate that has increased to 87%. The number of people requiring admission in our hospitals and the demand for COVID-19 tests have also dropped,” it was announced during a virtual meeting, according to TimesLIVE. “Cabinet thanks all South Africans for playing their part in adhering to restrictions to flatten the curve. We commend the dedication and sacrifice of all health professionals who have been our front-line defence against the virus.”
The Cabinet urged the public to continue “doing the right things”, such as wearing a mask in public, social distancing and washing hands or making use of an alcohol-based hand sanitiser.
Earlier this week, Minister of Health Zweli Mkhize hinted that there may be a shift toward Level 1 being announced in the soon-to-be future. He attributed this to the declining number of COVID-19 cases. “It’s too early to say — we are still discussing all the issues. The president will give us a sense of direction but we will be preparing to start easing to the next level,” he said.