South Africa eases Covid-19 restrictions on public gatherings ahead of Easter

In a speech to the nation on Tuesday night, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said that up to 250 people can now participate in indoor activities and 500 can participate in outdoor activities. In 15 days, the increased ratio will be reviewed, allowing festivals like Easter and Passover to come and go with less restrictions. Even as fears of coronavirus infection cases, South Africa’s government bowed to religious pressure and increased the number of people permitted to attend public gatherings.

The decision was made after days of discussion about how South Africa could tackle the forthcoming holiday season, which will see millions of people travel to see family and friends and attend religious ceremonies. Although the number of active Covid-19 cases has decreased significantly since January, the country still lags behind its emerging-market peers in terms of vaccinations, with only 240,000 health workers inoculated to date.

Data Source: The Wire