South Africa Clamps Down Against New COVID Wave 

JOHANNESBURG - South Africa is fighting a strong “third wave” of coronavirus, leading President Cyril Ramaphosa to announce a raft of new restrictions to try to curb the spread of the highly contagious Delta variant. 

The president said on national television late Sunday that the Delta variant has now been detected in five of the nation’s nine provinces.  “The rapid spread of this variant is extremely serious,” he said.  “It is for this reason that I said I address you on a weighty matter tonight. Even if it is not more severe, the rate at which people are infected could lead to many more people becoming ill and requiring treatment at the same time. We therefore need to take extra precautions.”  Those measures include a ban on all gatherings, the closure of schools, a ban on all alcohol sales and in-restaurant dining, a stronger curfew and tougher enforcement for lawbreakers.