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South Africa will remain on Alert Level 4 for another fortnight, as the number of coronavirus infections, fueled by the new Delta variant, continues to rise.
But President Cyril Ramaphosa announced the relaxation of some restrictions, allowing restaurants to operate with no more than 50 patrons and observing strict Covid19 protocols.
Schools will reopen on 26 July, while gyms can open, and game and livestock auctions can resume.
Restrictions on all social, political, religious, and other gatherings remain in place, the sale of alcohol remains prohibited, and the curfew hours stay the same from 9 pm to 4 am.
Meanwhile, the President announced that millions of doses of Johnson and Johnson vaccines will be released in July, as the number of vaccine sites are set to be expanded.
“The pace of vaccination has more than doubled in the last month, and will continue to increase,” he said.
Ramaphosa said the African Union and the European Union have reached a historic agreement that will significantly improve the supply of vaccines to our country and our sister countries on the African continent.”
“Through this agreement, Aspen will be delivering over 17 million Johnson & Johnson vaccine doses to South Africa and other African countries over the next three months, commencing in late July. “This number will double monthly from October,” he said.
Initial stock running into millions of doses will be released in both South Africa and other African countries from July.
Ramaphosa said as part of the effort to strengthen health security on the continent, there is a commitment by Johnson & Johnson to adapt the current arrangement “so that we can produce the vaccine in South Africa under license rather than under contract, resulting in our country and the continent having control over the vaccines.”
He added that negotiations are underway for the “drug substance” itself to be produced in South Africa, so that “we have a fully-owned African vaccine manufactured on African soil in a number of countries on our continent.”
