New Level 1 Lockdown Restrictions Released For South Africa – What You Can And Can’t Do

The Minister of Cooperative Government and Corporate Affairs, Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, has released the updated Alert Level 1 lockdown regulations for South Africa.

These regulations include new national restrictions on a number of activities, including the sale of alcohol, gatherings, and public spaces.

This follows President Cyril Ramaphosa’s speech on Monday, December 14, 2020, during which he announced additional lockdown restrictions for the country ahead of the holiday season.

Ramaphosa also said that the Sarah Baartman District in the Eastern Cape and the Garden Route District in the Western Cape are now classified as COVID-19 hotspots.

This places them under stricter regulations than the rest of the country, including a six-hour curfew from 10 p.m. to 4 a.m. and the closure of beaches and parks.

These restrictions will be reviewed in early January based on the state of the pandemic across the country, Ramaphosa said.

Below is the full list of additional restrictions that are now in effect across the country.

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Movement of people

• Every person is confined to his place of residence from 11:00 p.m. to 04:00 a.m. every day, except when a person:
  • you have been granted an essential services permit;
  • you are attending a medical or safety emergency.
• The closing hours of the following establishments are at 10:00 p.m. every day:
  • Religious institutions;
  • places where social events are held;
  • venues that host concerts and live performances;
  • cinemas, theaters and casinos;
  • museums, galleries and archives;
  • gyms, fitness centers and swimming pools;
  • restaurants, bars, taverns, shebeens and similar establishments;
  • places that host sports, artistic and cultural activities; and
  • any other place where a meeting may take place.

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Attendance at funerals

• Attendance at a funeral is limited to 100 people or less – as long as no more than 50 percent of the venue’s capacity is used, with people observing a distance of at least five feet from each other.
• No night watches are allowed.
• Meetings are not allowed after the funeral.
• During a funeral, a person must wear a face mask and adhere to all health protocols and social distancing measures.

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Entrepreneurs and companies

• An employer may not allow any employee to perform any task or enter the work facility if the employee is not wearing a cloth mask, household item, or other appropriate item that covers the nose and mouth while performing their duties.
• All business premises, including but not limited to a supermarket, convenience store, grocery store, retail store, wholesale produce market, or pharmacy must:
  • determine its surface area in square meters;
  • Based on the information contemplated in paragraph (a), determine the number of clients and employees that can be inside the facilities at any time with adequate space available;
  • take measures to ensure that people queuing inside or outside the premises can maintain a distance of one and a half meters from each other;
  • provide hand sanitizers for use by the public and employees at the entrance of the facilities; and
  • assign, in writing, an employee or any other appropriate person, as a compliance employee.
• All employers should take steps to promote physical distancing from employees.

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Beaches and Parks

• The beaches of the Eastern Cape Province will be closed to the public from December 16, 2020 to January 3, 2021;
• The Garden Route District beaches will be closed to the public from December 16, 2020 through January 3, 2021;
• The beaches of the KwaZulu-Natal province will be closed to the public on December 16, 25, 26 and 31, 2020 and January 1, 2 and 3, 2021;
• Beaches in the Northern Cape and Western Cape provinces (excluding the Garden Route district beaches) will be open to the public;
• Festivals, live music, live performances and loud music on the beaches are prohibited;
• All beaches that are open to the public must:
  • Open from 09:00 to 18:00
  • Be monitored for compliance with all health protocols, use of masks and social distancing measures; and
  • Any loud music, whether live or otherwise, is prohibited.
• The closure of beaches and restrictions on hours of operation do not apply to fishermen for fishing purposes, who are in possession of a permit or exemption granted in terms of the Marine Living Resources Act of 1998 (Act No. 18 of 1998).
• Public parks in the Eastern Cape Province will be closed from December 16, 2020 to January 3, 2021;
• The public parks of the KwaZulu-Natal province will be closed to the public only on December 16, 25, 26 and 31, 2020 and January 1, 2 and 3, 2021;
• Public parks in the Northern Cape and Western Cape provinces will be open to the public; and
• Public parks that are open to the public will be open between 09:00 and 18:00.

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Sale of liquor

• The sale of liquor in an establishment licensed for consumption off-site is only allowed from 10:00 to 18:00, Monday through Thursday, except Friday. Saturdays, Sundays and holidays.
• The consumption of liquor is not allowed in public places, except in authorized premises for consumption on the spot.

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Summary: national restrictions

Government gazette

The government gazette with the new lockdown rules is included below.

Now Read: Ramaphosa Announces New Nationwide Lockdown Restrictions For South Africa