President Cyril Ramaphosa addressed the nation at 20:00 PM this evening to discuss the COVID-19 pandemic, the current vaccination roll-out and the lockdown.
Vaccination Certificate
With the Department of Health rolling out a vaccination certificate soon, it is imperative to state that getting vaccinated is free to everyone who is currently living in South Africa. This vaccination certificate will serve as a secure proof of having received the vaccination and will be used for travel.
Reaching our Vaccine Goals by the end of December 2021
70% of the country needs to be fully vaccinated before we can go back to normal, says president Ramaphosa.
New Curfew to Come into Play
With the current trends in the progression of the pandemic mean that a number of the restrictions in place can be eased, as per the recommendations of the Ministerial Advisory Committee on COVID-19. The curfew will change to between midnight and four am (00:00 AM – 04:00 AM).
The Sale of Alcohol and Gatherings
Alcohol will now be available to be sold on and off site throughout the week. The only limitations being that alcohol sales are not permitted after 23:00 PM. The maximum number of people permitted to gather indoors will increase from 250 to 750, and the maximum number of people permitted to gather outdoors will increase from 500 to 2,000.
Cyril Ramaphosa finished his speech by encouraging fellow South Africans to get vaccinated as well as to take their friends and family to get vaccinated in an effort to reach our goal of 70% by the end of the year to get back to a state of normality.