South Africa is banning all alcohol sales and making it illegal to go into a public place without wearing a mask as it tries to fight back against a surge of coronavirus cases with some of the world’s strictest measures. South African President Cyril Ramaphosa delivered an emotional address Monday night to inform the population about the harsh new rules. On top of the alcohol ban and mask mandate, all bars, beaches, and public swimming pools in infection hot spots are to close, and there will be an extended nighttime curfew when everyone must stay at home. Ramaphosa explained that cases were rising at an “unprecedented rate,” with more than 50,000 new cases reported since last Thursday. As is the case in Britain, South Africa is struggling to contain a variant of COVID-19 that medical experts believe may be more infectious than the original.
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