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Alcohol sales open on the first day of Level 3. A general view of Mr. Clifton Lackay queuing and buying alcohol at Blue Downs Mall on the 66th day of the national closure on June 1, 2020 in Cape Town, South Africa. (Photo: Gallo Images / Roger Sedres)
A 10 pm curfew and a partial ban on the sale of alcohol on weekends are part of the presentations that have been made to President Cyril Ramaphosa and the National Command Council. These measures are aimed at curbing the spread of coronavirus infections in hotspots, and specifically in Nelson Mandela Bay, which is currently the epicenter of a new virus outbreak.
A 10 p.m. curfew and a partial ban on the sale of alcohol, which has been agreed to by some of the big liquor dealers, were discussed as the National Command Council met Wednesday to respond to the resurgence of infections. by coronavirus in several hotspots in the country, including Nelson Mandela Bay and the Garden Route.
The Nelson Mandela Bay Metro, which includes the city of Port Elizabeth and the cities of Uitenhage and Despatch, has been collectively identified as the epicenter of the current Covid-19 resurgence in the country.
Eastern Cape Sunshine Coast cities such as Port Alfred and Bushmans River, Graaff-Reinet, Aberdeen, Patensie, Jeffreys Bay and Makhanda have also been declared hot spots for outbreaks in the province.
Nelson Mandela Bay Active Executive Mayor Thsonono Buyeye said they met with President Cyril Ramaphosa on Wednesday morning and made their introductions. Buyeye said the cabinet must first approve any new regulations and is not free to elaborate until they are announced by Ramaphosa.
“We would love for decisions to be made faster. It was explained to us why it is taking so long and we understand. Many things are taken into account … We might think that the situation would have changed for the better if the decisions had been made earlier.
“Nelson Mandela Bay continues to be the epicenter of the country. The numbers continue to increase. Deaths are also on the rise. “
Buyeye said they have asked for a curfew to be applied before 10pm. The current curfew is midnight.
“The big liquor dealers, who sell mainly in the municipalities, have agreed in a presentation to close from Friday to Sunday and that shebeens can only see takeout, but we are waiting for the president because we need regulations to enforce this.”
Dr. Patrick Nodwele, who leads the public health response in the municipality, said they were upset to discover that many stores were using disinfectant that had been diluted.
“These are disturbing reports of non-compliance,” Nodwele said. “People would think they are safe, but maybe they just disinfect with water.”
Metro Disaster Management Forum Chairman Shane Brown said they will not approve applications for any public events unless they are virtual and will close all public places.
“We have around 3,500 active cases and we had 103 deaths in one week. Of our active cases, about half, 1,420 are under 40 years of age.
“While social gatherings remain our main problem, we have not stopped enforcing the law at churches and funerals as they can also be very diffusive. Motherwell remains a major concern, with 275 active cases there on Sunday. We urge our residents to stop the spread of the virus, no one else is causing this problem except us. People are dying almost every day and it is in our hands, this time we could sacrifice everything we are used to to save people’s lives, “said Brown.
The Minister for Local Government, Environmental Affairs and Development Planning, Anton Bredell, said Tuesday that the Garden Route has made the decision not to allow all planned events in the region.
His spokesman James Brent-Styan said this will apply to public events that require a permit from the municipality. He said the ban will remain in effect until further notice.
“The region is experiencing increases in Covid-19 infections. In addition, a large number of visitors are expected in the coming weeks, further increasing the risk of infection. This requires drastic action that we are not afraid to take.
“Our job comes down to enforcing disaster management protocols to help slow the spread of the virus in the Western Cape. We are doing the application of the law with the resources at our disposal and in partnership with the national SAPS, the municipal police, the departments of labor and health, to name a few ”.
Bredell says provincial disaster management was generally satisfied with the levels of compliance found on Black Friday and the following weekend.
“There were a few incidents where problems were found, but these were quickly addressed. We expect similar compliance to follow in the coming weeks, ”says Bredell.
George Municipality and Kannaland Municipality have closed all sports facilities and public places. Municipal guidelines are being developed for camping sites and places, which tourists can go to.
Several popular vacation towns, including Port Alfred, Jeffreys Bay, and Bushmans River, were declared hotspots by the Sarah Baartman District Municipality earlier this week.
Following a meeting on Saturday, the alcohol industry in the Eastern Cape pledged to train and deploy 80 community patrols to eight police stations (10 patrol cars per station) in the province’s critical Covid-19 areas. Working in conjunction with the SAPS and community police forums, the patrols will ensure compliance with regulations at alcohol outlets in the catchment areas of the selected police stations.
The president of the South African Liquor Brand Owners Association (SALBA), Sibani Mngadi, urged the provincial liquor authorities to act swiftly in reviewing the licensing conditions of points of sale that violate the Liquor Law and Covid-19 shutdown level 1 regulations.
“We have agreed with the liquor authorities of all provinces, including the Eastern Cape, that they would alert us to any decision to review the license of an establishment,” Mngadi said. “When a decision of this type is made, as manufacturers, we will stop providing service and supply to that point of sale.”
Lucky Ntimane, the convenor of the liquor merchant trainings, urged compliance with measures to prevent the spread of the virus.
“It’s simple and straightforward,” he said. “Make sure people wear masks and are disinfected when entering your outlet. The owners of the points of sale must ensure that there is good ventilation and limit the number of customers to no more than 50% of the capacity of the points of sale to ensure social distancing, “he added. DM / MC
