South African President Cyril Ramaphosa announced on Monday another ban on alcohol sales in the country, saying that "reckless behavior due to alcohol intoxication has contributed to increased transmission" of the coronavirus.
South Africa has recorded more than 1 million coronavirus cases, with nearly 27,000 deaths. The South African Medical Association said the country's hospital system could soon be overwhelmed due to COVID-19 cases and patients needing treatment for alcohol-related injuries. Earlier in the pandemic, there was a total ban on liquor sales in South Africa, and alcohol-related trauma cases dropped by 60 percent, The Guardian reports.
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