Lockdown banned

Photo: Pixabay

Banned indefinitely: Five things prohibited until lockdown ends

There are now five stages of lockdown – but we’ll have to exit every one of them before we’re able to take part in these banned activities.

Lockdown banned

Photo: Pixabay

Exactly four weeks after Cyril Ramaphosa put us all into a hard lockdown, the president was able to reveal that some restrictions will be eased by the end of next week. South Africa’s five-level exit strategy will bring in gradual relaxations to the stringent laws over the course of the next few months – but some of our favourites will be ‘banned’ for some time to come.

What are the five levels of lockdown?

Currently, we are in Level 5: The toughest restrictions possible. Next Friday, we will be down to Level 4. A few things change, here: We can buy cigarettes, leave our house for exercise, and buy extra, non-essential items from supermarkets (to be confirmed in the next few days). Here’s how the stages work:

Level 5: Drastic measures are required to contain the spread of disease (what we are in now).

Level 4: Some activity will be allowed, subject to extreme precautions (what will be in place after 30 April).

Level 3: Easing of restrictions, including work and social activities.

Level 2: Further easing of restrictions, with some form of social distancing still in place.

Level 1: Most normal activity can resume, providing we follow health guidelines.

What activities will be banned through all stages of lockdown?

However, although life at Level 1 would seem like an idyllic paradise at this stage, it still won’t be the end of lockdown. It is merely the softest version that exists before South Africa can exit all restrictions completely. There are a number of institutions that, unfortunately, will only be up and running again when Level 1 is lifted.

  • Bars and shebeens
  • Conferences and convention centres
  • Theatres and arenas (including cinemas, playhouses and concerts)
  • Sporting events
  • Religious gatherings are also banned indefinitely

Ramaphosa fears “transmission threat”

We’re mourning our bars already. The only films we’ll be seeing in the coming weeks, or likely months, will be on Netflix – or we’ll have to subject ourselves to another showing of Anaconda on ETV. According to Ramaphosa, the risk of transmission is simply too high at events involving “the forbidden five”:

“Several restrictions will remain in place regardless of the level of alert for as long as the risk of transmission is present: The disease is spread by contact between people. If people do not travel, the virus does not travel. Just one funeral in Port St Johns and one religious gathering in Mangaung contributed to a spate of infections in their respective provinces.”

“We know that 75% of confirmed coronavirus cases were found in just six metro municipalities – Joburg, Ekurhuleni, Cape Town, Buffalo City, eThekwini and Mangaung. It is therefore essential that we do everything we can to restrict the movement of people and to reduce the contact that each of us has with each other.”

Cyril Ramaphosa