Cape Town - President Cyril Ramaphosa has called a meeting of the National Coronavirus Command Council (NCCC) on Sunday as a new variant of the virus hits the country.
South Africa has already been put on the red list of the UK and other countries.
The number of new infections has risen over the past two weeks.
The Presidency announced that Ramaphosa will convene a meeting of the NCCC to look at the impact of Covid-19.
“The outcomes of the NCCC discussions and further consultations will be communicated in the coming days,” said the presidency.
The rising number of infections has put pressure on government. Health Minister Joe Phaahla on Friday called for a ramping up of the vaccination drive.
The presidency has also called for more people to get vaccinated to prevent the spread of the virus.
More than 24 million vaccine doses have been administered since the programme started a few months ago.
Health experts had already warned of a fourth wave before the end of the year.
The presidency said the meeting of the NCCC was important to look at the developments on the virus.
“The National Coronavirus Command Council is one of several structures of government, which include the President’s Coordinating Council and Cabinet, where scientific evidence and submissions by different economic and social sectors inform executive decision-making.
"Government works together closely with social partners to ensure that a balance is maintained between protecting and saving lives, and enabling people to earn a living and making it possible for the broader economy to recover and grow,” it said.
The presidency also called on people to vaccinate and stick to protocols to prevent the spread of the virus.
The government had wanted to vaccinate 40 million people by the end of the year, but they have pushed that deadline back to the end of March next year.
Political Bureau