Four of the nine provinces in the United States, including Gauteng, which owns Johannesburg and Pretoria, are already fighting the third wave of infectious diseases.

President Cyril Ramaphosa announced that South Africa will take stricter measures against COVID-19 because of fears that the entire country will soon face a third wave of pandemics.

Ramaphosa said on Sunday that four of the country’s nine provinces, including Johannesburg and Pretoria, Gauteng, the most populous province, are already fighting the third wave of infectious diseases.

He said: “It may only be a matter of time before the entire country enters the third wave.”

South Africa is the worst-hit country on the African continent, with more than 1.65 million cases and 56,363 deaths.

The president said: “The number of infections in several areas of the country has begun to increase dramatically.” As the number of hospital admissions increases, the president also said.

He added: “Now it is particularly important to delay the spread of the virus, so that as many people as possible can be vaccinated before the third wave of the virus reaches its peak.”

The country has recorded 4,515 new cases in the past 24 hours, and Ramaphosa said the “positive rate” in the tests conducted is now “worrisome”.

The restrictions will start on Monday and will force non-essential places (such as restaurants, bars and fitness centers) to close before 10pm local time (20:00 GMT) because the curfew will be extended by one hour, starting at 11pm. Until 4 o’clock in the morning.

Gatherings including political and religious activities are limited to 250 people outdoors and 100 people indoors.

The authorities did not take some strict measures again, such as the measures that were sometimes implemented last year to restrict people’s activities during the day and the measures to ban the sale of tobacco and alcohol products.

A man talking with a nurse after being vaccinated [File: Reuters]

South Africa has experienced two surges of infections before, the first time was in the middle of last year, the second time was in December and January, a more serious wave, at that time the emergence of a mutant virus will cause infection and death. The degree is pushed up for the first time.

Ramaphosa said the virus is currently following “the same trajectory” as these waves.

Experts warn that with the arrival of winter in the southern hemisphere, this wave may become more serious.

The surge in cases has also focused more attention on the delayed promotion of vaccines in South Africa. Of the country’s 60 million people, only about 1.5% have been vaccinated.

The government, which has been criticized for failing to purchase the vaccine in time, said it has paid a dose covering 40 million of the 59 million South Africans-or enough to achieve herd immunity.

Ramaphosa has repeatedly condemned “vaccination apartheid,” and wealthy countries bought most of the vaccine.

He said: “As the African continent, we are working hard to expand vaccine production capacity to achieve self-sufficiency in vaccine production.”

South Africa and India are fighting to terminate patent rights for coronavirus vaccines to help each country make its own supplies.

The Group of Seven (G7) summit will be discussed at the summit in the UK next month.