South Africans Are Worried Another Lockdown is Looming As President Cyril Ramaphosa Meets With the NCCC

• President Cyril Ramaphosa will reportedly have a meeting with the National Coronavirus Command Council on Sunday
• The President is expected to discuss the new coronavirus variant that has been discovered in South Africa
• Mondli Gungubele, the Minister in the Presidency has called on South Africans to do their part in curbing the virus and stay away from large gatherings

JOHANNESBURG - The new Covid19 variant has raised concerns around the world, however, South Africans seem more worried because the new strain could mean the implementation of a hard lockdown.

In response to the concerns around the new strain, President Cyril Ramaphosa is scheduled to meet with the National Coronavirus Command Council (NCCC) on Sunday, 28 November.

The agenda of the meeting will be the development of the pandemic as well as a scientific briefing on the new Covid19 variant, according to a report by News24.

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The office of the presidency says the outcomes of the meeting between the President and the NCCC will be discussed a few days after the meeting.

Mzansi urged to remain vigilant

The government continued to encourage citizens to continue wearing masks, sanitising and washing their hands.

South Africans were also urged to get vaccinated against the coronavirus because vaccines have been proven to protect people against getting seriously ill after contracting the coronavirus.

South Africans warned to stay away from large gatherings

With Covid19 cases on the rise, the Minister in the Presidency Mondli Gungubele has urged South Africans not to attend large gatherings that involve alcohol.

Gungugubele says even such as Matric rage and Matric after-parties should be avoided because they turn into superspreader events, according to a report by TimesLIVE.

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"Large gatherings, especially those which involve the consumption of alcohol, are a major risk and undermine our efforts to contain the spread of the virus,” says Gungubele.

He went on to say that political rallies were also not exempted because, at some rallies, people were not maintaining social distancing.

South Africans worried another lockdown is on the cards

Social media users raised some concerns about Ramaphosa's meeting with some expecting another lockdown as the country tackles the new variant.

Some people weighed in on the timing of the rise in cases and the Covid19 strain.

Here are some of their comments:

@kingSnezzo said:

"COVID is the coolest virus that can distinguish between political gatherings/campaigns and Social gatherings/alcohol it's very sad to find ourselves in this situation and As a nation, we cannot be controlled by politicians and the system. We deserve more. #lockdown #FamilyMeeting"

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@Hlanga_O said:

"We need to stand together ras nation and reject lockdown restrictions angeke #FamilyMeeting"

@Makatane_ said:

"One thing I know for sure is that Lockdown will be announced in the next #FamilyMeeting and nothing is going to happen. All the outrage will fall to nothing. The government has noticed that people are only angry here on tweeter. There will be no protest... Nothing... Zero..."

@felix_mothemane said:

"I think we've reached a point where we no longer need lockdown. Our government must leave everything in our hands, if you want a vaccine it's okay and if you don't want it's still fine. #FamilyMeeting"

UKZN Professor calls on billionaires to help fund South Africa amidst discovery of new Covid19 variant

Briefly News previously reported that Tulio de Oliveira, a University of KwaZulu-Natal geneticist professor has taken to social media to address the world's reaction to South Africa after a new coronavirus variant was detected this week.

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De Oliveira pleaded with world leaders to take a different approach to ban travel on Southern African countries but rather assist them.

A number of countries which include the United Kingdom, Israel, Singapore and Germany have banned a few Southern African countries and cited the new variant as the reason for the ban, according to BusinessTech.

Source: Briefly News