The Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma has extended the national state of disaster until September 15. The previous one-month extension was due to end on Friday, August 13.
South Africa was declared a national state of disaster under Section 27(1) and Section 27(2) of the Disaster Management Act on March 15, 2020, after the country had to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic which brought many parts of the world to a standstill.
According to Dlamini-Zuma, the extension takes into account the need to continue augmenting the existing legislation and contingency arrangements undertaken by organs of state and all other role players to mitigate against the impact of the disaster on lives and livelihoods, EWN reports.
” Citizens should continue to adherence to regulations under Alert Level 3 in an effort to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. Everyone has to wear a mask at all times, social distance, avoid large crowds and gatherings, ” Zuma reiterated.
More than 2.5 million COVID-19 cases have already been reported in the country and more than 75,700 people have died of the virus since the Act was declared. 473 new COVID-19 related deaths have also been reported on Thursday, August 12, bringing the total to 76 247 deaths.
As of today the cumulative number of #COVID19 cases identified in SA is 2 568 511 with 14 271 new cases reported. Today 473 deaths have been reported bringing the total to 76 247 deaths. The cumulative number of recoveries now stand at 2 344 896 with a recovery rate of 91,3% pic.twitter.com/GbFyaxmM4s
— Department of Health (@HealthZA) August 12, 2021
Meanwhile, the Democratic Alliance calls on President Cyril Ramaphosa to put forward any possible extension of the national state of disaster to Parliament for a review, Bussiness Tech reported.
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