AFP
Mbabane, eSwatini
The kingdom of Eswatini on Wednesday reversed a decision to relax coronavirus restrictions after infections almost doubled to 31 in one week.
Authorities in Africa’s last absolute monarchy last week eased some of the restrictions imposed on March 27.
Public buses were allowed to resume circulating, and some companies could reopen.
But Prime Minister Ambrose Dlamini, complaining that "complacency among the populace is creeping in”, said the rules would go back into force on Friday.
"An increasing number of people around the country are now casual and lack vigilance in preventing the transmission of the virus,” Dlamini said in a statement.
"The level of compliance to the measures which are aimed at curtailing the rapid spread of COVID-19 has dramatically dropped,” the premier said.
The number of positive cases in the country previously known as Swaziland jumped from 16 to 31 in the week since regulations were relaxed.
One fatality has so been far recorded.