Covid-19: South Africa moves back to Adjusted Alert Level 3! [update]

update (26 July 2021): South Africa's Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA), Dr Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, has published a government gazette which moves the country to Adjusted Alert Level 3 as announced by the President on 25 July 2021.

South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa announced in an address to the nation on 25 July 2021 that based on the recommendations of the Ministerial Advisory Committee on Covid-19, and inputs from the President's Coordinating Council, the Cabinet has decided to move South Africa from Adjusted Alert Level 4 to Adjusted Alert Level 3. This means that:

• The hours of curfew stay the same, starting at 22:00 and end at 04:00.
• Interprovincial travel for leisure may resume.
• Non-essential establishments like restaurants, taverns, bars and fitness centres may be opened. These establishments need to close by 21:00 to allow their employees and patrons to travel home before the start of the curfew.
• Gatherings are allowed but are limited to a maximum of 50 people indoors and 100 people outdoors.
• Where the venue is too small to accommodate these numbers with appropriate social distancing, then no more than 50% of the capacity of the venue may be used.
• Gatherings include religious services, political events and social gatherings.
• The limits on venue capacity also apply to restaurants, gyms, fitness centres, bars, taverns and similar places.
• Attendance at funerals and cremations may not exceed 50 people and all social distancing and health protocols must be observed.
• Night vigils and after-funeral gatherings are still not allowed.
• The sale of alcohol from retail outlets for off-site consumption is permitted between 10:00 and 18:00 from Monday to Thursday.
• Alcohol sales for on-site consumption is permitted as per licence conditions up to 20:00.
• Schools re-open on 26 July 2021, according to strict health protocols and other measures announced by South Africa's Minister of Basic Education.

It remains mandatory for every person to wear a face mask that always covers their nose and mouth at all times when in public spaces.
The owners and managers of public buildings, centres, shops, restaurants, taxis and buses all have a responsibility to ensure that people on their premises or in their vehicles wear masks.
They must also ensure that the appropriate social distancing measures are in place and are adhered to.
It is important to remember that it is a criminal offence if the number of people on these premises exceeds the maximum number of customers or employees allowed.

Covid-19: South Africa moves to Alert Level 3 - here are the new restrictions!

South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa announced in an address to the nation on 15 June 2021 that South Africa moves back to Alert Level 3. This due to a third wave of infections with Covid-19 that is currently taking place in the country. According to the President, all provinces of South Africa, except for the Northern Cape, are experiencing rising infections. Four provinces – Gauteng, Free State, North West and Northern Cape – are officially in a third wave, while others are approaching that point. The proportion of Covid-19 tests that are positive – the so-called positivity rate – is continuing to rise in Gauteng, Limpopo, Western Cape, Free State and KwaZulu- Natal.

In view of the rising infections, the following restrictions are in place in South Africa from today (16 June 2021):

• The hours of curfew start at 22:00 and end at 16:00.
• Non-essential establishments like restaurants, bars and fitness centres need to close by 21:00 to allow their employees and patrons to travel home before the start of the curfew.
• All gatherings are limited to a maximum of 50 people indoors and 100 people outdoors.
• Where the venue is too small to accommodate these numbers with appropriate social distancing, then no more than 50 per cent of the capacity of the venue may be used.
  This includes religious services, political events and social gatherings, as well as restaurants, bars, taverns and similar places.
• Attendance at funerals and cremations may not exceed 50 people and all social distancing and health protocols must be observed.
• Night vigils, after-funeral gatherings and ‘after-tears’ gatherings are not allowed.
• The sale of alcohol from retail outlets for off-site consumption is only be permitted between 10:00 and 18:00 from Monday to Thursday. This excludes public holidays.
• Alcohol sales for on-site consumption are permitted as per licence conditions up to 21:00.
• Alcohol consumption in all public spaces, such as beaches and parks, is strictly forbidden.

South Africa: Airlink expands its domestic flight network for business and essential travel! [update]

update (22 July 2020):  Effective 27 July 2020, Airlinks' early morning flights between Johannesburg and Cape Town as well as between Johannesburg and Port Elizabeth will be departing a little later to enhance customer convenience.
Johannesburg 07:10 > 09:20 Cape Town (Mondays to Sundays)Cape Town  07:20 > 09:25 Johannesburg (Mondays to Sundays)Johannesburg 10:15 > 12:35 Cape Town (Saturdays)Johannesburg 07:10 > 08:55 Port Elizabeth (Mondays to Fridays)Port Elizabeth 09:35 > 11:15 Johannesburg (Mondays to Fridays)

Following the announcement by South Africa's Minister of Transport, Fikile Mbalula, that seven more airports in South Africa resume operations from 01 July 2020, South African regional carrier Airlink is set to introduce flights between OR Tambo Internaitonal Airport (JNB) in Johannesburg and Bram Fischer International Airport (BFN) in Bloemfontein, Kruger Mpumalanga International Airport (MQP) in Nelspruit, Upington Airport (UTN) in Upington and Pietermaritzburg Airport (PZB) in Pietermaritzburg as well as Cape Town International Airport (CPT) in Cape Town to Bloemfontein and Cape Town to Port Elizabeth International Airport (PLZ) in Port Elizabeth. All services will commence on 06 July 2020. In the next few weeks the airline is expecting additional airports to be approved and added to their operations, these include Kimberley, Mthatha, Polokwane, Richards Bay as well as Cape Town to George.
Domestic passenger air travel in South Africa is currently not permitted for recreational, leisure or tourism purposes. All international passenger flights are prohibited except for those flights authorised by the Minister of Transport for the repatriation of South African Nationals from foreign countries and evacuation of foreign nationals from South Africa.

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South Africa moves to an "advanced" alert level three lockdown: accommodation establishments allowed to reopen!

South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa has announced in a national address on 17 June 2020 that the country will move to an "advanced" alert level three lockdown, with a number of business sectors reopened to the public. Following discussions with industry representatives and after advice from scientists and consultation with the Cabinet, South Africa's Government has decided to ease restrictions on certain other economic activities.

These activities include:

• Restaurants for "sit-down" meals
• Accredited and licensed accommodation, with the exception of home sharing accommodation like AirBnB.
• Conferences and meetings for business purposes and in line with restrictions on public gatherings.
• Cinemas and theatres, to be aligned to limitations on the gathering of people.
• Casinos.
• Personal care services, including hairdressers and beauty services
• Non-contact sports such as golf, tennis, cricket and others. Contact sports will be allowed only for training and modified activities with restricted use of facilities.

According to President Cyril Ramaphosa, in each instance, specific and stringent safety requirements have been agreed to by the various representatives of these industries. These will need to be put in place before a business can reopen, and protocols will need to be strictly adhered to for businesses to remain open.
Further details on opening dates and the guidelines that must be followed will be made public in due course. We'll keep you posted!

South Africa remains at lockdown level 3, but additional sectors of our economy will now be allowed to reopen – as long as strict measures are in place to ensure physical distancing & personal hygiene. #COVID19 pic.twitter.com/lyNAqCUOdv

— Presidency | South Africa 🇿🇦 (@PresidencyZA) June 17, 2020

South Africa: South African Airways to resume domestic services! [update]

update (27 May 2020): The business rescue practitioners (BRP) of South African Airways (SAA), Les Matuson and Siviwe Dongwana, said that the airlines statement, in which the resumption of domestic servies from mid-June 2020 was announced, was not authorised by them. They rejected the statement and announced that the airline is not preparing to resume flights. SAA has been placed into business rescue in December 2019, and all media statements have to be approved by the BRPs.

South Africa's flag carrier, South African Airways (SAA), today announced that it is currently retaining its domestic schedule, as published between Johannesburg and Cape Town, with effect from mid-June 2020. Accordingly, the airline is focusing on ensuring operational readiness to resume flights once permissible. This position will be reviewed on an ongoing basis.
At the same time, South African Airways is cancelling all planned scheduled flights on regional and international services until the end of June 2020 with immediate effect. Due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic and its impact on the aviation industry, the airline is limiting its service to domestic flights in South Africa.
Travellers holding unused tickets for flights with South African Airways do not need to contact the airline at this time. All customers will be able to use their ticket's full value as a credit for travel on any service by South African Airways up to an including 24 March 2022. The airline will also permit a free name change if any individual customer no longer wishes to travel.

South Africa moves to alert level three of its risk-adjusted strategy to manage the spread of COVID-19 with effect from 01 June 2020. During level three domestic air travel will be allowed, but only for business travel.