Two months after lifting them, Pretoria decided to re-impose these restrictions on 12 July, in view of the spread of the epidemic (between 12,000 and 14,000 new cases every day since 9 July).
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said the ban on the sale of alcohol should prevent accidents and thus not “overburden” hospitals. Family visits are also prohibited, as is travel between 9pm and 4am.
The head of state also warned that South Africa could record between 40,000 and 50,000 Covid-19-related deaths by the end of 2020, according to the latest projections by scientists.
However, after more than four months of stoppages, the South African Professional Football League announced on 13 July the restart of the Premier League championship. According to the Premier Soccer League’s plans, the matches will be played entirely in Gauteng province, which is considered the epicentre of the epidemic in the country. The official date for the restart has yet to be confirmed, but the aim is to complete the season by the end of August.
The country has registered 276,242 cases and 4,079 deaths as of July 13, 2020.