No Level 2 for SA: ‘Our situation remains precarious’ – Health Minister

Bad news if you’re hoping some of the lockdown restrictions will be eased sometime soon: Health Minister Dr Joe Phaahla has warned that the country’s COVID-19 cases are not yet stable enough to justify moving to Level 2 of the lockdown.

Phaahla gave an update on South Africa’s battle against the respiratory virus as well as the vaccination roll-out on Friday morning, 13 August 2021.

The minister says while the COVID-19 positivity rate has gone down, it is still too high for some of the measures to be eased. The country is still on Alert Level 3 of the lockdown.

“Our situation therefore, remains precarious and there is no time to lower our guards. No time to release the restrictions. Therefore, as the Department of Health, we will in no way be recommending to the National Coronavirus Council (NCCC) and to Cabinet, a relaxation of the restrictions at this stage. We will be recommending that we remain at Level 3”

Health Minister Dr Joe Phaahla

Dr Joe Phaahla: The country’s positivity rate ‘too high’

Dr Joe Phaahla made reference to the previous day’s positivity rate of 23% to illustrate his point – that the country’s COVID-19 cases remain high and it isn’t safe yet to return to lighter restrictions.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) recommends that a country’s test positivity rate should be 5% or lower for at least 14 days before it can consider further reopening the economy and lifting restrictions.

There have also been questions surrounding the fluctuation of the COVID-19 figures over the past weeks. Phaahla says several factors come into play in that respect, including the number of tests that are being done.

He has encouraged South Africans to continue exercising the necessary protocols.

The minister added that there remains capacity in public hospitals across the country.

“Our hospitals still have enough capacity to handle those who need care in our ordinary wards, also in our high care and in our ICUs,” he said.

Phaahla has also thanked healthcare workers who continue being at the forefront against the respiratory disease.

He has warned that the country is not entirely out of the woods -and is still phasing out the third wave COVID-19.