President Cyril Ramaphosa has dismissed the rumours that a move back to lockdown Level 3 is imminent on Tuesday, October 27. He also added that he may be addressing the nation next week.
Ramaphosa was addressing the National Council of Provinces (NCOP) and answering a question about COVID-19 corruption according to News24, when Democratic Alliance (DA) MP Tim Brauteseth snuck in a question about whether the rumours that another Level 3 lockdown was on the cards had any basis.
“I don’t want to be alarmist, I don’t want our people to be alarmed with rumours, such as we are going to Level 3. That is simply not true. And I want to assure everyone that it is not true,” said Ramaphosa.
Amos Masondo, the Chairperson of the NCOP, urged MPs not to stray from the original question.
“Thank you, honourable chair, for seeking to save me there,” was Ramaphosa’s tongue in cheek response.
He added that the government continues to analyse and manage the pandemic situation and heeds the advice of the medical advisory committee.
“We are seeing some signs that are of concern to us,” said Ramaphosa.
He added that many South Africans are not adhering to COVID-19 preventative measures which are meant to stop the spread of the disease and specifically mentioned that there have been gatherings, the so called superspreader events, that led to a spike in infections.
Ramaphosa said that he had received a report, presumably from the medical advisory team, earlier in the day and he would study it closely before possibly addressing the nation next week.
“I want to look at the report very closely, and also then have an opportunity in the coming days, possibly next week, to address the people of South Africa on what we need to do in light of what we are going through.”
The president stressed if there ever is a regression in lockdown levels that he will be the one to advise the nation on “where we are and where we are going to”.
