By Paul Vecchiatto
(Bloomberg) – The resurgence of the Covid-19 pandemic in India has prompted the South African government to consider introducing additional measures in order to stave off a third wave.
Health Minister Zweli Mkhize told an online conference that a close eye was being kept on India, which has now the highest Covid-19 infection rate in the world.
“The challenges we have seen in India are very serious,” Mkhize said. “We have received an advisory from the ministerial advisory council that we have to consider some restrictions and we are now going through that,” he said, without giving details.
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa eased coronavirus restrictions in March as the rate of new infections dropped, scrapping most limits on alcohol sales, shortening a night-time curfew and permitting larger public gatherings. Covid-19 infections in Africa’s most-industrialised economy have fallen from about 22,000 a day in January to fewer than 1,000, even without a large-scale vaccination campaign.
(Updates with infection rate. restrictions in final paragraph)
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