President Cyril Ramaphosa warned of a second coronavirus wave following a surge of infections.
Ramaphosa said new coronavirus cases in the Eastern Cape had risen by 145 percent in the last two weeks compared to the previous 14 days.
“What we are witnessing in the Eastern Cape should be a wake-up call to all of us, that we cannot relax and we cannot be complacent,” he said.
“We can avoid a second wave if we each play our part, if we remember what we need to do to keep ourselves and others safe.”
Ramaphosa said a “resurgence plan” would be implemented to respond to new localised outbreaks. It would involve intensified contact tracing and testing, and prepare health facilities for potential cluster outbreaks.
Ramaphosa called on citizens not to breach rules on wearing face masks in public and limiting social gatherings.