Covid-19: South Africa eases adjusted level 3 lockdown regulations!

South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa announced in a national address on the national effort to contain the Covid-19 pandemic on 01 February 2021 that South Africa will relax many restrictions under the adjusted level 3 lockdown regulations. According to the President, the country has recorded its lowest daily increase in infections since the beginning December 2020, and that there are indications that South Africa has now passed the peake of the second Covid-19 wave. Due to the recent developments, the Cabinet of South Africa has decided to steadily ease a number of restrictions under adjusted Level 3.

• The hours of the curfew will now be from 23:00 to 04:00.
• Establishments will need to close by 22:00 to allow their customers and staff to return home by curfew.
• Faith-based gatherings will be permitted, subject to health protocols.
• Such gatherings may not exceed 50 people for indoor venues and 100 persons for outdoor venues. 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.
• Public places such as beaches, dams, rivers, parks and public swimming pools will be reopened subject to health protocols.
• Restrictions on the sale of alcohol will be eased.
• The sale of alcohol by licensed premises for off-site consumption will be permitted from Mondays to Thursdays, from 10:00 to 18:00.
• Duty-free shops, registered wineries, wine farms, micro-breweries and micro-distilleries will be able to sell alcohol for off-site consumption during their normal licensed operating hours.
• The sale of alcohol by licensed premises for on-site consumption – such as restaurants and taverns – will be permitted throughout the week from 10:00 to 22:00.
  

Several prevention measures will remain in place:

• Social gatherings, political events, traditional council meetings and gatherings at sports grounds will not be permitted.
• This does not include religious gatherings and funerals and other limited exceptions as detailed in the regulations, such as restaurants, museums and gyms.
• Funerals may not be attended by more than 50 people, and there needs to be social distancing, hand sanitising and mask wearing.
• It remains compulsory for every person to wear a mask in a public space.
  

Covid-19: South Africa closes all land borders and remains on Adjusted Alert Level 3 Lockdown!

South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa announced on 11 January 2021 that the country will remain on Adjusted Alert Level 3 Lockdown. South Africa has been on Adjusted Lockdown Alert Level 3 since 29 December 2020, when the resurgence in infections started. While most measures remain in place, minor but significant adjustments to the current regulations have been introduced. The amended regulations have been gazetted by the Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma. Below are some of the key points of the extended lockdown, as outlined by the Government Gzette No. 44066.

• All land ports of entry into and out of South Africa are closed until 15 February 2021, with the following exceptions:
• The transportation of fuel, cargo and goods
• Emergency medical attention for a life-threatening condition (with proof of such treatment)
• The return of a South African national, permanent resident, person with a long-term residence visa, spouse with a visa, child or children with visa, person with a work visa and holder of a business visa
• Funeral purposes for family members in the first degree of kinship to the deceased person
• Diplomats
• The deportation of foreign nationals
• The departure of a South African national, or permanent resident, to his or her place of employment, study or residence
• Daily commuters from neighbouring countries who attend school in South Africa.

• International air travel is restricted to:
• OR Tambo International Airport (JNB) in Johannesburg
• King Shaka International Airport (DUR) in Durban
• Cape Town International Airport (CPT) in Cape Town

• Air travel is still permitted, subject to the traveller providing a valid certificate of a negative Covid-19 test which was obtained not more than 72 hours before the date of travel.

• In the event of the traveller’s failure to submit a certificate as proof of a negative Covid-19 test, they will be required to do an antigen test on arrival at their own cost and in the event of testing positive for Covid-19, they will be required to quarantine at their own cost.

• All commercial seaports will remain open and small crafts will be allowed entry into seaports, inline with all health and border law enforcement protocols.

• Foreign nationals in South Africa with visas that have expired and were automatically extended to 31 January 2021, due to their inability to travel during the lockdown due to COVID-19, will have their visas automatically extended to 31 March 2021.

• A foreign tourist who arrived in South Africa prior to the commencement of this regulation, will have his or her visa automatically extended to 31 March 2021.

• Every person is confined to his or her place of residence from 21:00 until 05:00 daily unless a person:
• has been granted a special permission
• is attending to a security or medical emergency.

• Any person who fails to abide by the curfew commits an offence and is, on conviction, liable to a fine or a period of imprisonment not exceeding six months or to both such fine andimprisonment.

• Closing time for the following establishments, whether indoors or outdoors, is 20:00:
• cinemas
• theatres
• casinos
• museums, galleries and archives
• gyms and fitness centres
• restaurants
• venues hosting auctions
• venues hosting professional sport
  

Covid-19: South Africa moves back to an "adjusted" level 3 lockdown! [update]

update (30 December 2020): Click here to download the Government Gazette regarding the amended Disaster Management Act, 2002

South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa has addressed the nation on 28 December 2020 and has confirmed that South Africa returns to an adjusted level 3 lockdown. According to the President, this step has been taken by the Cabinet of South Africa on the recommendation of the National Coronavirus Command Council (NCC), and after consultation with provinces and metro mayors. Several of the level 3 regulations are being strengthened to further limit the potential for transmission, while doing everything possible to keep the economy open. The new measures became effective at midnight on 28 December 2020.

Under the adjusted level 3 regulations:

• Alcohol sales from retail outlets are not permitted
• On-site consumption of alcohl is not permitted
• No consumption of alcohol in public spaces, including parks and beaches
• Extended curfew from 21:00 to 06:00
• Apart from permitted workers, no person may be outside their place of residence during curfew
• Non-essential establishments must close at 20:00
• The following establishments must close at 20:00: cinemas; theatres; casinos; museums; galleries and archives; gyms and fitness centres; restaurants; venues hosting auctions; venues hosting professional sport.
  
• The following businesses and venues are closed to the public: night clubs; swimming pools (except for professional training); bars; taverns and shebeens; public parks, including facilities there, where there is no access control; beaches, parks and dams in hotspot areas.
  
• Every person must wear a mask in public
• Drivers and operators of any form of public transport must ensure that all passengers wear a mask
• The manager or owner of a building, place or premises (including a retail store) must ensure that all customers wear a mask
• An employer must ensure that all employees wear a mask while they perform their duties
• Every business premises must determine the maximum numer of staff and customers permitted at any one time while maintaining a distance of 1.5 metres between people.
• Health protocols must be observed at gatherings, including maintaining a distance of at least 1.5 metres between people.
• All gatherings, including faith-based gatherings are prohibited for 14 days. This includes political and traditional council events.
• Gatherings for the purposes of work are permitted, but need to follow strict social distancing measures.
• Cinemas, theatres, casinos, museums, libraries, sporting grounds, restaurants and auctions are allowed to continue operating, but are limited to 50 people or less indoors and 100 people or less outdoors, and are subject to the same strict social distancing measures.
• At no point can the number of people exceed 50% of a venue’s capacity, if it is too small to take 50 people.
• Hotels, lodges, bed and breakfasts and resorts are allowed to take full capacity of available rooms for accommodation, with social distancing measures in place.
• Supermarkets, shops, stores and pharmacies are limited only to 50% of floor space.
• Bus and taxi services may not carry more than 70% capacity for long-distance travel (>200km), and may carry 100% capacity for any other trip.
  
• Sport events, both professional and non-professional are allowed, but must follow the new regulations which include:
• No spectators are allowed to attend matches
• Only the required number of players, match officials and support staff are allowed
• Journalists, TV crews, security personnel, emergency services and venue employees are allowed at the venue
• International events may only be held with teams from low or medium risk countries
• Any other directions issued by the sport or health minister

The Level 3 restrictions will remain in place until 15 January 2021. These measures will be reviewed at that time on the basis of the state of the pandemic in South Africa.

Following a review of the latest available data on infections and hospitalisations, and consultations with affected provinces, South Africa's Cabinet has decided that the following further areas be declared coronavirus hotspots:

• In the Eastern Cape: Chris Hani District, Buffalo City, Amathole District, Alfred Nzo District and the OR Tambo District. These are in addition to Nelson Mandela Bay Metro and the Sarah Baartman District.
• In KwaZulu-Natal: eThekwini, Umgungundlovu District, Ugu District, Harry Gwala District, King Cetshwayo District and Ilembe District.
• In Gauteng: West Rand District, Tshwane, Ekurhuleni and Johannesburg
• In the Western Cape: West Coast District, Overberg District, Winelands District, Cape Town, Central Karoo District. This is in addition to the Garden Route District.
• In the North West: Bojanala District
• In Limpopo: Waterberg District and the Capricorn District