The president also advised that the academic year would stretch beyond 2020, to ensure its recovery while prioritising the health of pupils.
Ramaphosa also announced a clampdown on corruption, with a collaborative centre bringing together nine law enforcement agencies to prevent, detect, investigate and prosecute Covid-related corruption.
He said 36 cases were already under way at various stages of investigation. The unit will report back to him with their findings every six weeks.
The president said more than 6,000 people had died of Covid-19, while 408,052 infections had been confirmed. The Eastern Cape, Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal were mentioned as the provinces with positive cases rising at a particularly “rapid pace”.