NATIONAL NEWS - Wear your mask, observe the curfew and stay at home as far as possible. Beaches are closed for everyone – except the fisherman.
These are some of the pointers given by Minister of Cooperative Governance Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma during a media briefing this morning.
In her address to the media on Facebook live, Dlamini-Zuma touched on the various regulations which came in effect from midnight last night.
This follows after president Cyril Ramaphosa’s announcement that the country will move to an adjusted level 3 of lockdown regulations for the next two weeks until 15 January.
“The president was reminding us that if we should behave and make sure that the health protocols are kept. If we do that we can actually defeat this virus,” said Dlamini-Zuma. “Unfortunately with the festive season we have lowered our guard. I think now, with over a million of our people having had the virus and over 27 000 deaths, we must take this very seriously.”
Dlamini-Zuma emphasized the importance of mask wearing, and said that different from before, wearing a mask is now mandatory. You can be fined or send to prison for no longer than six months if you don’t wear a mask.
“The virus does not move, it is moved by us. Stay at home as far as possible and wear a mask - even if you are at home,” she said.
“It is useful if you are meeting with people that is not in the same household. No one is safe until we are all safe. The government does not want to arrest anyone, so please wear your mask. It is not the aim of the government to take you to prison.”
Read below a short summary of some of the new regulations, as explained by Dlamini-Zuma:
- Observe the curfew. If you are on the road it should be because you are going to work or you have an emergency. When it comes to funerals, one gathering is allowed. Where 100 were allowed before, it has changed to 50 people, 1,5m apart. If the venue does not allow the capacity with social distancing, it has to be less. A funeral should not take more than two hours. Night vigils are still not allowed and no after funeral gatherings. This is why funerals are super spreaders, because people hug and so on. The shorter the service, the better.
- Social gatherings are prohibited for two weeks - after that it should be reviewed. People can still go to restaurants, casinos, libraries, galleries, cinemas but… they have to be a maximum of 50 inside, 1,5m apart. If the place is to small, it will have to be half the capacity. Outdoors it can be 100, but with social distancing. Wear a mask, unless you are eating.
- The beaches are closed for everything and everyone, except for fisherman. In the Northern Cape visiting beaches are allowed because it is not yet a hot spot.
- Public parks and recreational facilities are also closed, except botanical gardens, game parks, zoos and aquariums, from 06:00 to 21:00.
- Hotels, lodges, B&B’s are open because people are in their rooms and they can fill to capacity, but in the public shared spaces they must keep social distancing and wear masks.
- When it comes to alcohol, liquor cannot be sold for on-site or off-site consumption. You may not buy or sell alcohol. Transportation of alcohol is only allowed for industrial use such as making sanitizers, or for export. This regulation is in place for two weeks.
- Initiation schools are all closed. Those that is already in the process may complete. All the celebrations that are done after initiation is prohibited.
- The hospitals are stretched to capacity, people are dying, mortuaries battle. It is a very grave situation and we must look after ourselves. Take your vitamins and look after yourselves.
Nothing changed in line with public transport, but masks are now compulsory.
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