South African President Cyril Ramaphosa on Monday announced a new strip of COVID-19 restrictions, including the closure of bars and the imposition of a ban on the sale of liquor.
Medical experts warn that the country’s health system is at risk of overflowing due to the increase in coronavirus cases along with those in need of urgent care due to alcohol-fueled incidents. A new, more infectious coronavirus strain has recently been detected in South Africa that has caused many countries to limit or ban round-trip travel.
According to a report by The Associated Press, South Africa saw a drop of up to 60 per cent in trauma cases in hospitals following the previous ban on liquor sales in April and May, a figure that began to increase when the ban was lifted.
Angelique Coetzee, president of the South African Medical Association, told the AP: “To relieve the pressure on the system during this time of year, where we only have skeleton staff working, especially in the public sector, as well as in the private sector, we ask for stricter restrictions regarding the social gatherings ”.
The AP notes that South Africa’s alcohol industry was one of the hardest hit and that many alcohol traders had appealed to the government to try to avoid a direct ban on the sale of liquor.
In addition to banning the sale of liquor, the new restrictions included closing all public beaches and pools in infectious areas, as well as extending their curfew, according to the AP. Residents must now be home from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Masks are now mandatory in public spaces, Ramaphosa said, with those caught violating the warrant subject to a fine or even a criminal charge that could lead to jail time.
South Africa surpassed one million COVID-19 cases on Sunday and has so far confirmed more than 26,000 deaths from the virus.