President Cyril Ramaphosa will next week update South Africans on the government’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic, Minister in the Presidency Jackson Mthembu said on Thursday.

Mthembu told a post-Cabinet media briefing Ramaphosa’s address would be preceded by a meeting of the National Coronavirus Command Council, followed by another Cabinet meeting.

A statement emanating from this week’s regular Cabinet briefing expressed concern that South Africans were not heeding warnings of a potential second wave of infections and adhering to health protocols.

“Cabinet is concerned that some people are behaving recklessly and irresponsibly as if Covid-19 no longer exists. Cabinet calls on all people in South Africa to continue adhering to the health protocols of practising social distancing, wearing masks in public and washing our hands with water and soap or an alcohol-based sanitiser, and avoiding large gatherings.

“Such consistent considerate behaviour remains the greatest defence in protecting ourselves and others against the virus. Our responsible actions will ensure we minimise the rates of infections whilst we continue to rebuild our economy.”

However, Mthembu said it was premature to speculate about whether Ramaphosa would announce new measures to contain transmission of the virus.

The president would be guided by the advice of experts conveyed to the command council, which groups Cabinet ministers.

“The president will take the nation into his confidence, can we allow the president to take us into his confidence?” he said in response to questions about a potential tightening of restrictions in response to the health crisis.

According to figures given by the Ministry of Health on Wednesday, 2,056 new infections were recorded in the previous 24 hours.

As several European nations contend with a second surge in infections and return to lockdown restrictions, Health Minister Zweli Mkhize has repeatedly warned that South Africa faced a risk of a new spike in cases.

South Africa remains at the lowest alert level of the country’s lockdown.