South Africa moves to Level 4 lockdown as COVID-19 infections surge: President Cyril Ramaphosa

South Africa has moved to an adjusted level 4 lockdown from Monday amid a sharp increase in COVID-19 cases.

"We are concerned about the rapid spread of the Delta variant and it is extremely serious," President Cyril Ramaphosa said while addressing the country late on Sunday.

"Based on scientific advice and various consultations, the cabinet has decided the country should move to an adjusted level 4 lockdown. Additional restrictions are necessary for the next 14 days. After this we will assess the impact of these restrictions," he said.

Ramaphosa emphasised that the country is in the grip of a destructive wave."We don't know how long this wave will last, but it appears to be longer than the first wave (15 weeks) and the second wave (9 weeks)," he said.

Here are the guidelines for the adjusted level 4 lockdown:

• All gatherings, indoor and outdoor, will not be permitted.
• Non-essential establishments will have to close at 8 pm.
• All schools, private and public to close by Friday.
• Funerals permit only 50 people.
• Travelling in and out of Gauteng province for leisure purposes is banned.
• The sale of alcoholic beverages is prohibited.
• Curfew from 9 pm-4 am.
• Wearing a mask is compulsory.
• All employers should allow their employees to work from home unless necessary.
• Restaurants and other eateries may only serve food for takeaways or delivery.

As of Sunday, 15,036 new cases were recorded in the last 24 hours, bringing the total number of COVID-19 cases to around 1.92 million. Total deaths have been reported at 59,900.