Photo: GCIS / Flickr
Photo: GCIS / Flickr
It promises to be an Easter like no other… ahh, wait… we already said that last year: South Africa is heading into a second consecutive Good Friday with increased lockdown restrictions in place, and President Ramaphosa has reintroduced some ‘tougher rules’, to prevent a resurgence of coronavirus. Mzansi will now operate at Adjusted Level 1.
It’s Adjusted Level 1 for South Africa – so what will change?
Fears about the third wave of COVID-19 have been dominant during the NCCC’s most recent meetings – hence why Cyril Ramaphosa gathered us all for a family meeting on Tuesday evening. The new measures will mainly impact alcohol sales, and little else. In fact, gatherings for religious purposes have been allowed to INCREASE their maximum limits.
The shift to Adjusted Level 1 will come as a relief to many citizens who feared much bigger changes. The move back to Level 1 last month felt like a burst for freedom, and indeed, new infections have remained incredibly low since then. But it was only a few months ago that lax attitudes in the build-up to Christmas forced the numbers to soar once more.
Why has Ramaphosa imposed more lockdown restrictions for Easter?
Ramaphosa and his colleagues are desperate to avoid a repeat performance this time around. It’s understood that the Easter restrictions will be in place for just four days, all spanning over the public holiday – that’s if the NCCC doesn’t choose to move the goalposts, of course. Concerns about gatherings for Ramadan (12 April) have been eased, however.
Indeed, the data is also on our side. Once the hectic Easter holidays are done and dusted, South Africans are highly likely to resume life at Level 1. These ‘snap restrictions’ may not prevent a third wave, but there is hope that these regulations can at least mitigate the impact of a resurgence. Here are all the major ‘Easter regulations’ you need to know about…
The FULL LIST of Easter lockdown restrictions for 2021
- – Curfew stays in place from 00:00 – 4:00, there is no change.
- – Beaches will remain open, but they are subject to mask-wearing and social distancing.
- – Funerals are still restricted to two hours per service.
- – So, what does change? Alcohol: Off-license booze will be banned for FOUR DAYS, from 2 – 5 April (official dates for Easter).
- – Liquor stores and other venues will have to close their doors once the long weekend starts. You can buy liquor on Wednesday AND Thursday from these establishments, however – so there’s no need to be caught short.
- – On-site sales of alcohol, for restaurants and bars, WILL be allowed over Easter.
- – Religious gatherings will be restricted to 250 people indoors, and 500 outdoors. This is, actually, an INCREASE in the numbers.
- – No more than 50% of capacity can be used in ANY gathering – elderly and vulnerable citizens are urged to avoid crowds.
- – Gathering sizes WILL BE REVIEWED ‘within 15 days’, and limits shortened if the data shows any worrying trends.
