South Africa: Tougher Coronavirus COVID-19 Alert level 1 restrictions this festive season

South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa has announced tighter level 1 lockdown restrictions nationwide, with effect from midnight on 14 December 2020. This as South Africa enters the festive season amid a second wave of rising COVID-19 infections. These festive season restrictions will be reviewed in early January 2021 based on the state of the pandemic across the country. As of 14 December 2020, South Africa's cumulative number of cases of Covid-19 stands at 866,127, edging closer to the 900 000 mark. President Ramaphosa announced the following restrictions:

• Beaches and public parks in the Eastern Cape and in the Garden Route district in the Western Cape will be closed for the duration of the festive season from 16 December 2020 to 03 January 2021.
• In KwaZulu-Natal, beaches and public parks will be closed on 16, 25, 26 & 31 December 2020 and on 01 - 03 January 2021.
• The beaches and public parks of the Northern Cape and the Western Cape – with the exception of the Garden Route – will remain open to the public over the festive season.
• Festivals, live music, and live performances at beaches are prohibited countrywide.
• Beaches and parks that are open to the public will only be open between 09:00 and 18:00.
• Ramaphosa also said: "In instances, where there are large crowds or poor compliance with safety measures, specific beaches and recreational parks will be closed".

• The new curfew is starting countrywide at 23:00 and ending at 04:00.
• Hours of curfew will also apply to Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve.
• Non-essential establishments, including restaurants and bars, will have to close at 22:00 so that staff and patrons can get home before the enforcement of the curfew.

• The sale of alcohol from retail outlets will only be permitted between 10:00 and 18:00 from Monday to Thursday.
• Registered wineries and wine farms may continue to offer tastings and wine sales to the public for off-site consumption over weekends.
• Alcohol consumption in all public spaces, such as beaches and parks, is strictly forbidden.

• Gatherings – including religious gatherings – may not be attended by more than 100 people for indoor events and 250 for outdoor events.
• The total number of people in a venue may not exceed more than 50% of the capacity of the venue.
• Due to the potential for transmission, all post-funeral gatherings, including ‘after-tears’ parties, are prohibited.

• Under the tighter level 1 restrictions, drivers and operators of any form of public transport must ensure that all passengers wear a mask.
• Managers or owners of buildings, places or premises – including retail stores, shopping centres, and government buildings – are obliged by law to ensure that all customers who enter their facilities or buildings wear a mask.
• Responsible individuals who do not ensure compliance with the regulations by their passengers, customers or employees will be liable to a fine or to imprisonment of up to six months.