Covid-19 surges in Nelson Mandela Bay and in the Western Cape are prompting health authorities to consider localised lockdowns to curb infections.
Health Minister Dr Zweli Mkhize said this week the government was considering introducing a ‘package of interventions’ in problem areas.
He believed that ‘the whole of Nelson Mandela Bay will probably deserve additional restrictions (and) we will therefore be going through a consultation just to go through the things we believe will be important.’
He added: ‘I think that when we see the numbers that we do now, we need to start restricting the hours of movement, particularly later activities (in the evening).
‘We also have to look at the numbers in the hospitals to look at the impact of alcohol-induced pressure and start discussing issues in that regard.’
He indicated that his department would make recommendations to the National Coronavirus Command Council in the coming days.
In the Western Cape, the provincial government issued a ‘resurgence’ warning this week as infections rose substantially.
Head of health in the Western Cape, Dr Keith Cloete, said: ‘We will have to look (at) and explore local restrictions. If people do not behave in a way that will help us, we might have to become much more tough in the way that we impose restrictions locally in the Western Cape.’
He added: ‘The premier and the cabinet have agreed that in the face of these increasing infections it would be the responsible thing to do to consider all the possibilities that can be done locally with municipalities and explore the appropriate application of restrictions in the coming weeks and months.’