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- President Cyril Ramaphosa announced that the curfew will be extended from 23:00 to 04:00.
- Other restrictions include a limit of 100 people for indoor events and 250 for outdoor events.
- This is being done to prevent super spreader events amid the second wave of Covid-19 infections.
To avoid widespread events, the government has imposed a longer curfew and put more restrictions on gatherings across the country.
President Cyril Ramaphosa addressed the nation Monday night amid a second wave of Covid-19 infections.
“Gatherings, especially social gatherings and parties, are the biggest source of outbreaks,” Ramaphosa said.
He said that many of those gatherings did not observe social distancing, crowded places were not adequately ventilated, there was no hand sanitizer available and people did not wear masks.
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“Many people consume alcoholic beverages at these super spreader events, with the result that people become less careful about taking steps to protect themselves and prevent infection,” he said.
He held up the recent Rage Festival post-matric event in Ballito as “a stark reminder of how dangerous big reunions can be.”
“We now know that about 1000 young people from Gauteng, who attended the event, tested positive for the coronavirus. What we still do not know is how many more people each of them has infected. It is said that up to 300 families, in turn, could have been infected, “he said.
Infections
“The sad truth about this pandemic is that festivals, concerts and parties, which should be occasions of fun and joy, are proving to be sources of infection and disease, and can even cause death.”
He said the current restrictions on the size of meetings were not doing enough.
“Therefore, meetings, including religious gatherings, cannot be attended by more than 100 people for indoor events and 250 for outdoor events.
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“At all times, and particularly in smaller venues, the total number of people in a venue cannot exceed more than 50% of the venue’s capacity.
“All meetings should include adequate ventilation, social distancing, use of masks and provision of hand sanitizer.”
Ramaphosa said another area of focus was easing the burden on health services due to “irresponsible use of alcohol.”
Therefore, the curfew would be longer, starting at 23:00 and ending at 04:00.
“Non-essential establishments, including restaurants and bars, will need to close at 10 PM, so that staff and customers can get home before the curfew is over.
“The curfew is meant to avoid meetings that last late into the night, while allowing restaurants, bars and taverns to continue to operate and earn income.”
He reminded the nation that the curfew will also apply on Christmas Eve and New Years Eve.
“This means that we will all need to make changes in the way we celebrate these occasions.”
He said it was safer to socialize with his immediate family than with large gatherings that could cause the virus to spread.
He also said so-called “after-tears” parties will be banned.
“We will not allow large numbers of people to gather in one place without proper controls or protocols,” Ramaphosa said.
