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The Eastern Cape Government said it supported the additional restrictions imposed on Nelson Mandela Bay by the government.
Premier Lubabalo Mabuyane said Bhisho believes that these would help contain the spread of the coronavirus in the Metro before it can spread to other parts of the province.
President Cyril Ramaphosa said Nelson Mandela Bay had been declared a Covid19 hotspot and announced the tightening of the curfew from 10 PM to 4 AM and restricting retail liquor sales from Monday to Thursday.
Drinking in public open spaces is also prohibited among other measures.
“We appreciate the commitment of the local industries in efforts to mitigate the spread of the Coronavirus in the province, especially in the Nelson Mandela Bay Metro and Sarah Baartman District,” Mabuyane said.
He said the Provincial Government also welcomed the final decision on the summer initiation season which would go ahead but not in Nelson Mandela Bay.
The Premier said that the Eastern Cape Provincial Coronavirus Command Council would hold its weekly meeting on Friday to focus on the speedy implementation of these decisions.
Mabuyane also appealed to the Eastern Cape public to heed regulations saying everyone has a duty to stop the spread of this virus by wearing masks in public places, keeping a physical distance from another person, washing and sanitising hands.
Meanwhile, there has been mixed reaction from some political parties.
The Inkatha Freedom Party said this was the final warning shot from the President, who stressed that the absence of a change of citizens’ behavior and attitudes towards regulations will result in the country becoming a hotspot.
“This is the case in Nelson Mandela Bay, which has now essentially become a case study of what not to do ahead of the Festive season,” said MP Mkhuleko Hlengwa.
“We, therefore, implore all residents of Nelson Mandela Bay to comply with the additional stricter measures to Level 1 of their lockdown.”
However, Hlengwa said the President missed an opportunity to implement stricter penalties for non-compliance with Lockdown regulations by citizens and businesses.
Democratic Alliance leader, John Steenhuisen, meanwhile said that they welcomed the fact that President Ramaphosa resisted the temptation to return the country, or parts thereof, to a higher level of lockdown.
He also reiterated the President’s call for South Africans to play their part in preventing the spread of infections.
“Significant behavioural changes are still the best weapon to combat not only the spread of infections but also to prevent other medical trauma from clogging up our hospitals and ICU beds,” Steenhuisen said.
Commenting on the rising number of infections in the Garden Route, the DA leader said that the party has “full confidence in the preparation and capacity of the Western Cape Government to identify and contain any further outbreaks or hotspots as we go into this crucial holiday season.”
