[imagesource: GCIS]

This evening, at 8PM, President Cyril Ramaphosa will address the nation.

According to a tweet from the official @PresidencyZA account, we will be briefed “on developments in relation to the country’s response to the Coronavirus pandemic”.

The address to the nation, or ‘family meeting’ as they have been dubbed, “follows meetings in recent days of the National Coronavirus Command Council (NCCC), the President’s Coordinating Council (PCC) and Cabinet”.

The issue of procuring sufficient vaccines in a timely manner will also be addressed.

One gets the feeling that January 15, initially earmarked as the date that alert level 3 would run until, isn’t going to see an easing in restrictions.

Throughout the past week or so, many have called for a return to alert level 4 restrictions to be put in place, with the Sunday Times reporting that experts believe Gauteng should go to alert level 4 for 21 days.

Last week, Bloomberg reported that some government officials have been pushing for an alert level 4 lockdown at a national level, while other officials have called for the relaxation of certain restrictions.

According to one source who spoke with the Sunday Times, Ramaphosa will not move the country into a harder lockdown (alert level 4), but will extend alert level 3 until February 15.

The curfew, according to the source, will change from 9PM to 6AM to 9PM until 5AM.

News24 reports that there will be a continuation of the alcohol sales ban.

None of that is yet confirmed, so don’t go jumping the gun and assuming too much.

When the address begins, usually just after 8PM, the video below will begin streaming:

[source:presidency]