Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma together with Health Minister Dr Zweli Mkhize and Police Minister Bheki Cele briefed the media on Tuesday morning on the adjusted Level 3 lockdown regulations.
President Cyril Ramaphosa addressed the nation on Monday after the country reached one million Covid-19 coronavirus infections and announced that new regulation would be put in place to stop the spread of the second wave of Covid-19 infections.
Dlamini-Zuma confirmed the closure of public swimming pools, except for professional athletes’ training and for swimming contests and added that public parks with no access control measures or entry limitations were also shut down.
Read: Medical staff welcome ‘balanced’ level 3, but ‘what about taxis, resource crisis’?
Game parks, botanical gardens, aquariums, zoos and other parks where access control measures and entry limitations are already in place may remain open to the public between 9am and 6pm.
“They will be monitored for compliance with all health protocols such as the wearing of face masks and social distancing measures,” she said.
However, the venues must only allow a maximum of 50 people who must observe social distancing and stay 1.5m apart. The sale of alcohol is in these venues is prohibited.
If the venue cannot accommodate the 1.5m distancing regulation, then less than 50 people would be allowed inside.
Beaches in areas not identified as Covid-19 hotspots would remain open to the public and licensed fishing would be permitted, said Dlamini-Zuma.
Earlier, she said people could go to restaurants, museums, gyms, casinos, galleries, cinemas and theatres, but with limited people.
All beaches, dams, lakes and rivers, inclusive of all recreational facilities at these places, are closed to the public in the 22 hotspots declared by Ramaphosa.
Residents of places such as Kleinzee and Port Nolloth in the Northern Cape, are permitted to enjoy their beaches, subject to a curfew and providing there is no overcrowding.
The regulation states: “Beaches that are open to the public in non-hotspots – that is the Northern Cape – shall only be open between 6am and 7pm and be monitored for compliance with all health protocols and social distancing measures.”
Fishing is also permitted under certain conditions.
“The closure of beaches and restrictions on times of operation do not apply to fishermen for fishing purposes, who are in possession of a permit or exemption granted in terms of the Marine Living Resources Act.
Read: We will not defeat death with our irresponsible Covid-19 defiance
“Non-compliance with the prohibitions, conditions and hours of opening of beaches will result in the closure of those beaches throughout the festive season,” warned Dlamini-Zuma.
The declared hotspots, however, cover much of South Africa’s coastline including the large metros.
Hotels, lodges, bed and breakfasts, timeshare facilities, resorts and guest houses are allowed full capacity of available rooms for accommodation, with patrons observing a distance of at least 1.5m from each other when in common spaces.
All business premises, including supermarkets and pharmacies, are subject to a limit of 50% of the floor space, which includes customers and employees, and subject to strict adherence to all health protocols.
Venues such as nightclubs, bars, taverns and shebeens may not operate.
Dlamini-Zuma said that regulations governing international travel had not changed under Level 3. She said the 18 land borders, which were partially operational, would be fully operational.
The 34 land borders, which were closed will remain closed, except for the Kosibay Border Post between South Africa and Mozambique that would reopen on January 1.
Cele appealed to South Africans to observe the new lockdown regulations, particularly around the ban on alcohol sales, the national curfew and the mandatory wearing of face masks.
He warned that the SA Police Service (SAPS) would arrest people if they breached the regulations.
“Our role as the SAPS is to put a fine comb through these laws and ensure that citizens are adhering to the regulations,” Cele said.
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 |
