[ad_1]
As part of South Africa’s amended Level 4 blockade restrictions, the government plans to introduce a “curfew” that will limit the times when South Africans will be able to leave their homes.
First announced as part of a draft framework on Saturday (April 25), the curfew will place limitations on the times that South Africans can leave their homes and travel.
Key points of the curfew are detailed below and how they will apply to South African companies and individuals. It should be noted that because the curfew is part of a draft framework, it may, along with the other proposed Level 4 blocking restrictions, be subject to change.
Implementation
The curfew will go into effect along with the other Tier 4 regulations beginning May 1, 2020 (Labor Day). It will be applicable from 20:00 to 05:00 each day and will be applied throughout the country.
While not specified in the draft regulation, the government has indicated that the curfew could be relaxed along with other regulations in areas with fewer cases of coronavirus.
The Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA), Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, has indicated that different parts of the country may see stricter blocking regulations depending on the severity of their coronavirus cases.
He added that we could see “differentiated blocks” in provinces with a large number of coronavirus cases such as Gauteng, KZN and the Western Cape.
This means that a district that has had fewer cases or a lower chance of transmission may have different closure rules than a more “high risk” area, he said.
Deal
As with existing closure regulations, this curfew does not apply to essential workers who will have to travel to and from work during these hours.
However, it appears that it applies to workers who are not considered “essential” under current regulations and who are allowed to return to work under the new Tier 4 restrictions beginning May 1.
This extends to the new closing regulations around restaurants, which are subject to their own food delivery times in the draft regulations (09:00 – 20:00).
Personal
The draft regulation indicates that curfew is not only limited to travel, and that South Africans will also not be able to leave their homes to exercise during these times.
The new Level 4 closure restrictions state that South Africans can now leave their homes but cannot participate in organized fitness activities or use facilities such as gyms.
The government is expected to provide more information on these limitations, as well as a general update on Level 4 restrictions, on Thursday (April 30).
Read: These are the people who will be allowed to return to work starting May 1st.
[ad_2]
