The current measures would have expired on January 15 and include the closure of beaches and public parks and the ban on the sale of alcohol.
“The pandemic in our country is now at its most devastating. The number of new infections, the number of hospital admissions and the deaths still occurring are much higher than they have been since the first case in our country in March 2020,” said Ramaphosa in a live national speech.
In addition to extending the existing measures, Ramaphosa has announced that 20 land borders will be closed until 15 February. The closures will have several exceptions, such as those traveling for medical emergencies, he said.
Ramaphosa said the speed and intensity of the second wave in South Africa was due to the 501.v2 variant that genomic scientists discovered late last year.
“We do know that this new variant of the virus spreads much faster than the previous variant. This explains why many more people became infected in a much shorter time,” he said, adding that there was no evidence that the new strain caused people to get sick.
Ramaphosa said the restrictions will be re-evaluated when the current peak of infections is alleviated.
South Africa reported at least 1,246,643 Covid-19 cases, including 33,579 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University data.