Minister in the Presidency Mondli Gungubele said on Thursday that the trends in the country’s Covid-19 cases will determine whether the National State of Disaster on Covid-19 will be extended or not.

Gungubele was briefing media on the outcomes of the Cabinet meeting held on Wednesday.

“For now all we are doing is to observe the trends, at the relevant time the President might convene the National Coronavirus Command Council to look at extending the State of Disaster. But I wouldn’t say it is going to be extended or not, the trends and situations will determine that,” he said.

Last month Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Dr Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma gazetted the extension of the National State of Disaster until November 15.

The government first declared a National State of Disaster on March 15, 2020 in response to the coronavirus pandemic.

With regards to a “family meeting”, Gungubele said the President will decide when to call a meeting, adding that for now government is excited about the positivity rate, which stands at 2.6%.

“Infection rate is at its lowest. We just appeal that our people should not be tempted by the rate going down and stop using masks, and execute the non-pharmaceutical and pharmaceutical measures, because we are where we are because of adherence to those principles,” he said.

Meanwhile, Cabinet applauded South Africans that have vaccinated.

The country has so far administered over 22-million vaccine doses.

“Three out of every five people aged over 50 years in our country are now vaccinated. We need to get to five out of five [for this] age group by the end of the year to kill the power of the anticipated fourth wave,” Gungubele said.

Government will host another Vooma Vaccination Weekend from November 12 to 14.

Cabinet also reminded people to ensure that they take a second dose of the Pfizer vaccine to be fully protected, saying vaccines help prevent serious illness, hospitalisation or death from Covid-19.