South African’s perched on the edge of their seats, sitting with bated breath and hopeful hearts. All waiting to hear the fate of our beaten and bruised nation, on Saturday evening, 16 August 2020. The thought of some realm of normality returning to our lives seemed almost unreal and normal, just seems to be so long ago.
Never the less, Ramaphosa, once again appeared on our screens and let South African’s know that we would indeed be moving down to Level 2. However, he stressed while there are signs of hope, we cannot and must not let our guard down.
“As we continue to ease restrictions, the risk of infection does not diminish. In fact, the risk of infection becomes greater as more people return to work, as they move about more and as there are more opportunities to interact.”
The president went on to emphasise that even the slightest lapse in our alertness during this time, could lead to a resurgence in infections at a rate and on a scale far greater than what we have seen so far. This means that taking extra care of safety and procedure, to ensure there is no just cause to return the country to a higher level of lockdown, is a must from every person in the country.
What changes can we now expect during Level 2?
- All restrictions on inter-provincial travel will be lifted.
- Visits to family and friends are permitted in small groups.
- Accommodation, hospitality venues and tours will be permitted according to approved protocols to ensure social distancing.
- Restaurants, bars and taverns will be permitted to operate according to approved protocols as to times of operation and numbers of people.
- Alcohol may be served in all licensed restaurants.
- Restrictions on the sale of tobacco will be lifted.
- The suspension of the sale of alcohol will be lifted subject to certain restrictions.
- Alcohol will be permitted for on-site consumption in licensed establishments only up until 10pm.
- Liquor outlets will be allowed to sell alcohol for off-site consumption from Monday to Thursday during the hours of 9am to 5pm only.
- Restrictions on family and social visits will also be lifted, although everyone is urged to exercise extreme caution and undertake such visits only if necessary.
- Gyms and fitness centres will reopen with strict health and safety protocols in place.
- Parks, beaches and nature reserves will be open for outdoor activity.
The following restrictions will remain in place:
- Wearing a mask remains mandatory.
- Current restrictions on international travel will remain in place.
- No gatherings of more than 50 people will be permitted. Among others, this includes funerals and religious events.
- Spectators will not be permitted at sporting events.
- The curfew will remain in place between the hours of 10pm and 4am.
As the lockdown restrictions are now being eased, where do we stand with infections?
Nationally, there is a cumulative total of 589 886 confirmed COVID-19 cases, with 11 982 deaths. The number of recoveries stands at an impressive, 477 671 recoveries, which translates to a recovery rate of 80%.
There are currently, 5998 confirmed cases in the Amajuba District, with 4993 recoveries. To date, there is 86 COVID-19 related deaths in the district.
With these figures in mind, in his open letter to the public on Monday, August 17, President Ramaphosa said it was important not to start celebrating as we moved into Level 2.
“We are still very much in the middle of a deadly pandemic that has taken, over 11,000 lives in South Africa alone. At more than half a million confirmed cases, we still have the fifth-highest number of infections in the world. And there is always a chance of a resurgence of the disease,” he pointed out.
According to the president, the greatest threat to the health of the nation right now is, complacency.
Every South African knows how quickly the Government can change our lives. Therefore, let us not take the easing of the restrictions lightly, because if our numbers increase, there will be motivation for Gov. to action higher levels of lockdown. As Ramaphosa said, do not get complacent. Stay safe, practice the rules set in place, as none of us wants to see the country slip back into troubled waters.
Author: Quinton Boucher
Edited: Calvin Swemmer
