Mixed reactions as SA eases lockdown regulations

South Africa's media coverage showed cautious optimism as the country eased lockdown regulations in its efforts to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus. As the nation went onto lockdown alert Level 3 on Monday, 1 June 2020, social media and the news were abuzz with people going back to work and pictures of queues outside liquor stores.

In covering recent happenings, South African media outlets point to a slow return to the economy but also fears of the spread of Covid-19 as more people go out to public spaces. One of the top stories to emerge this past week was the Gauteng High Court declaring alert Level 3 and alert Level 4 lockdown regulations invalid and unconstitutional. This may once again lead to a change as the nation navigates its way around lockdown regulations and the implications thereof.

This week’s infographic features a sample of 4492 media items collected from online, print and broadcast sources from 27 May to 2 June 2020. Unlike the past two weeks where the president individual was the most mentioned across various media, this week shows a change in topics with the ability to buy alcohol being making headlines. The prohibition of the sale of tobacco products and talks of schools potentially reopening on 8 June 2020, also contributed substantially to this week’s media coverage.