COVID-19: UNPACKING AMENDMENTS TO THE LOCKDOWN LEVEL 1 REGULATIONS

More details on President Cyril Ramaphosa’s announcements on stricter nationwide measures to curb the spread of the virus are provided in amendments to the consolidated disaster management lockdown level one regulations, which were gazetted on 3 December. Published shortly after the President’s address, with one exception (different curfew hours) they extend to the entire country measures introduced on 3 December in the Nelson Mandela Bay metropolitan ‘hotspot’ area. This is noting that the Garden Route and Sarah Baartman district municipalities were declared hotspots shortly before Ramaphosa made his announcements.

Nationwide measures applicable from 00:01 on 15 December 2021:

• longer curfew hours (23:00 to 04:00) (this is one hour less than the curfew in hotspots, which begins at 22:00)

• 22:00 is prescribed as closing time for a long list of establishments where gatherings of various forms and activities with various intentions take place

• more explicit limitations on gatherings for funerals and events held afterwards

• more explicit instructions on the protocols to be followed at each specific type of gathering, including the workplace

• beach closures (which do not apply to fishermen with permits) (different dates and times apply to affected provinces and districts)

• the hours when beaches permitted to remain open may operate (09:00 to 18:00)

• activities prohibited at open beaches

• public park closures (different dates and times apply to affected provinces and districts)

• the hours when public parks permitted to remain open may operate (09:00 to 18:00)

• a restriction on the sale of liquor at retail outlets (between 10:00 and 18:00 from Monday to Thursday) (these hours also apply to wineries and wine farms, which may also operate on Saturdays).

Measures applicable to the country’s hotspots are set out in Chapter 7 of the consolidated regulations. They include:

• an extension to the hours of curfew (from 22:00 to 04:00)

• a restriction on the sale of liquor at retail outlets (between 10:00 and 18:00 from Monday to Thursday)

• a 50% reduction in the number of people allowed to gather outdoors (250 maximum)

• a cap of 100 on the number of people allowed to gather indoors, and

• prohibitions on:

o post-funeral gatherings

o alcohol consumption in public spaces, and

o customary initiation practices (customary initiation may continue to be practised in the Eastern Cape but is prohibited elsewhere in SA).