President Cyril Ramaphosa has brought forward the meeting of the National Coronavirus Command Council to Saturday, after initially setting it up for Sunday.
This comes as South Africa is fighting travel bans from Europe and other parts of the world.
The presidency said the NCCC meeting would no longer sit on Sunday.
“The National Coronavirus Command Council meeting which was earlier announced as scheduled for Sunday, 28 November 2021, has been brought forward to Saturday, 27 November,” said the presidency.
The meeting of the NCCC happens the day after Health Minister Dr Joe Phaahla said they were concerned about the rise in Covid-19 cases.
A number of countries including the UK and in the European Union have imposed a travel ban on South Africa after the discovery of Omicron.
But Phaahla and other scientists said this decision was premature and unjustified.
They said SA was doing what was in line with the WHO protocols.
Phaahla said despite the conduct of these countries to ban SA visitors because of the variant they would remain transparent in their work.
They would continue to work with the WHO and other bodies in the fight against Covid-19.
The various sectors of the economy are already bracing themselves for more stricter ahead of the festive break.
The World Health Organisation has said the new variant that has rocked South Africa and other countries is Omicron. Experts believe the new variant is the driving force behind a spike in Gauteng’s Covid cases.
Meanwhile, Home Affairs Minister Aaron Motsoaledi has tested positive for Covid-19.
But the presidency said he was “in good health and in isolation.”
siyabonga.mkhwanazi@inl.co.za
POLITICAL BUREAU