President Cyril Ramaphosa will on Saturday chair a meeting of the President’s Coordinating Council (PCC) to deliberate preparations for moving most of the country to the coronavirus (Covid-19) alert level three, the presidency said.

Co-chaired by the president and Deputy President David Mabuza, and comprising of cabinet ministers, all nine provincial premiers, and representatives of the South African Local Government Association (Salga), the meeting would also discuss measures to combat the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic, the presidency said in a statement.

“Today’s [Saturday] meeting follows yesterday’s [Friday] consultation, led by President Ramaphosa, between government and social partners under the auspices of the National Economic Development and Labour Council (Nedlac),” the presidency said.

Covid-19 alert level three would entail a more extensive reopening of the economy and the lifting of restrictions on the movement of people and goods.

Ramaphosa had been in continuous consultation with various sectors of society on the management of the national state of disaster since government first acted to limit the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic in the country on March 27, the presidency statement said.

The initial three-week hard lockdown (level five) was subsequently extended by two weeks to May 1. On Wednesday, Ramaphosa announced that most of the country could move to level three as of the end of May, but added that certain parts of the country, or districts, with high levels of confirmed Covid-19 cases, may remain on level four.

Source: ANA