Free State premier recommends Bloemfontein stays on level 4 as other parts of province go to level 3

The Free State should move to lockdown level 3, except for the capital city, Bloemfontein, Free State premier Sisi Ntombela recommended on Tuesday.

Spokesperson for the provincial government Setjhaba Maphalla said on Wednesday that Ntombela and the provincial command council were continuing discussions with the national command council on the appropriate alert level for Mangaung (Bloemfontein).

“Our primary concern remains the lives of all our people, including their economic livelihoods. The premier is concerned by the rising number of infections in Mangaung, which remains the hotspot in the province.

“The proposal from the premier is based on scientific data that indicates that most of the infections come from Mangaung,” Maphalla said.

He said the national command council would make the final decision.

This after President Cyril Ramaphosa announced that parts of the country would be moving to level 3 at the end of May.

SA's death toll from Covid-19 passed the 300 mark on Tuesday night, after 26 more deaths were recorded in the previous 24 hours.

Health minister Dr Zweli Mkhize said the death toll was now 312. There were also 767 new cases confirmed in the past 24 hours, taking the national total to 17,200.

The Free State had 168 cases, six deaths and 118 recoveries.

“I wish to thank all the health-care workers and health practitioners of our province, in the forefront of fighting this virus. I sit here proud to say, we are doing well as a province,” Ntombela said.