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The government met with business stakeholders on Thursday (September 3) to discuss the conditions for the reopening of the events sector in South Africa.
Live events have been banned in the country for nearly seven months, and events were halted before the country went into a hard lockdown in late March.
The Department of Sports, Arts and Culture, which led the discussions, said it is aware of the frustration and challenges faced by professionals and companies in the sector.
“The government is doing all it can while ensuring that the relevant regulations are followed. Hence, there is a progressive approach of dealing with restrictions to allow the sector to resume its activities and for creatives to practice their craft, ”he said.
The department met with the South African Communication Industries Association (SACIA) to discuss protocols that allow live events and technical industry personnel to return to work safely, as well as ensure the safety of those attending. to events.
As part of the meeting, SACIA presented the strict security measures and protocols that they plan to implement to mitigate the spread of Covid-19 at events organized by any of their affiliated organizations.
Some of the proposals include:
- The prohibition of alcohol consumption in events with more than 300 participants;
- A separate safety plan for 1000 participants (drive-ins);
- In addition to normal health and safety protocols, SACIA proposes to use technology such as electronic capacity monitoring systems to track how many participants are in events at any given time;
- New regulations on the number of participants in events, currently set at 50 people, to take into account the size / area or the total capacity of the venues and not the current restriction of 50 participants, since this does not ensure that the protocols of social distancing security are respected.
50 person limit
#Painted paper pic.twitter.com/keHPNdss9d
– LightSAred_Official (@LightsaredO) August 19, 2020
While gatherings of more than 50 people are still prohibited by the country’s level 2 closure regulations, the department expressed the need to use percentages of capacity, rather than absolute numbers, as a measure of limitations.
In addition, he promised to use the two weeks leading up to September 15 as a window of opportunity to participate and consult on the plan.
“It is important to mention that when collaborating with SACIA; there was a mutual agreement that while it is important for the government to open up the economy and allow industries to begin to go through a recovery process, it is also of equal importance that people’s livelihoods are protected, ”the department said. .
“Therefore, all measures must be taken to minimize the risk of spreading infections and the possible increase of the second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic.”
South Africa’s events industry has been particularly hard hit by the coronavirus lockdown, with thousands of people unable to return to work under the current lockdown.
This led to the formation of the “light SA red” campaign that was created by members of the industry as a means of highlighting their problems. The campaign saw national landmarks, including Table Mountain illuminated with red spotlights.
Read: These critical skills are in high demand in South Africa
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