POLL | Should SA return to lockdown level 5?

As Covid-19 cases and related deaths surge in SA, health minister Zweli Mkhize said a return to a hard lockdown remains a possibility.

As of  June 30, SA had 151,209 confirmed cases and 2,657 deaths.

The Western Cape and Gauteng are the hardest hit provinces, with 62,481 and 42,881 infections respectively. The Western Cape has recorded 1,859 deaths, more than half of the national death rate.

Mkhize told 702 on Monday that national government will discuss ways to provide more beds for Gauteng  as it is expected to surpass the Western Cape with a high number of infections.

He said government has not decided to impose a hard lockdown, though this remains a possibility.

“While the hard lockdown helped, people need to get back to work and normal life. To balance the two, there needs to be co-operation from everyone. A hard lockdown will remain a possibility. When we had the first lockdown, it was not because it would be the last time we do it. It may be necessary, and when the time comes, we will talk about it,” said Mkhize.

On Tuesday, the EFF called on President Cyril Ramaphosa to return the country to level 5 lockdown.

In its statement on Tuesday, the party said SA must be under hard lockdown for three months as “no amount of social distancing, wearing masks and sanitisation will help reduce the rise in infections and deaths. The only strategy that will help us is staying at home”.