'SA will have COVID-19 resurgence if people behave like they did in 2020'

Pundits unpack their thoughts on the country moving from adjusted level 3 lockdown to level 1.

President Cyril Ramaphosa on Sunday evening announced that South Africa would move to level 1 of the lockdown warning that the risk of a third wave of COVID-19 remains constantly present.

The country has been under level 3 of government's risk-adjusted approach to the pandemic since December when the second wave hit.

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Ramaphosa added that the sale of alcohol will be permitted, according to normal licence provisions but no alcohol may be sold during the hours of curfew.

Mandy Wiener on the Midday Report chats to Southern African Alcohol Policy Alliance strategic advisor Aadielah Maker Diedericks and Social Security Systems Administration and Management chair professor Alex van den Heever to give more insight on the move to Level 1.

Numbers of infections of reported information have gone down and we need to recognise that there is a high level of community based transmissions in South Africa. The environment still remains high risk and we will go back to another resurgence if people behave the way they did in October and November 2020.

Professor Alex van den Heever, Chair - Social Security Systems Administration and Management

He adds that the country is lightly to into a third wave as people begin to gather and the winter season begins.

Diedericks says there seems to be no learning from the country's experience in 2020 and after each lifting of restrictions hospital admissions increased.

Listen below to the full conversation:

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