South African Health Minister Zweli Mkhize urged the public to help the government implement measures to contain the COVID-19 pandemic.
He voiced concern that fatigue seems to have set in and South Africans are letting down their guard when the number of infections is surging.
“We see poor or no social distancing in communities. Masks are abandoned or not worn properly and there is laxity on frequent hand-washing,” the minister said in a statement.
The minister made the appeal as the national tally reached 350,879 on Saturday, up by 13,285 from the previous day.
The death toll stood at 4,948, up by 144 in the past 24 hours.
“We must all appreciate that there is a direct causal link between the surge of cases and our ability, or inability, to adhere to these very basic principles,” Mkhize said.
