Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Dr Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, has gazetted amendments to Adjusted Alert Level 1 lockdown regulations from midnight on 31 December.
Changes to Covid-19 regulations were approved at a special Cabinet meeting on Thursday, when Ramaphosa confirmed curfew would be lifted.
He said all indicators suggest South Africa passed the peak of the fourth wave.
Lockdown level 1 changes
Cabinet made the decision to further ease the regulations following a sustained decrease in infections, hospitalisation and Covid-19 related deaths following the Delta variant, and an increase in vaccinations.
The following amendments are now applicable under Adjusted Alert Level 1:
- The curfew has been lifted for now, and the government will closely monitor the effects going forward.
- The maximum number of people permitted to gather indoors is increased to 1,000, and the maximum number of people permitted to gather outdoors is 2,000.
- Where the venue is too small to accommodate these numbers with appropriate social distancing, then no more than 50 percent of the capacity of the venue may be used.
- This includes religious services, political events and social gatherings, as well as restaurants, bars, taverns and similar places.
- The sale of alcohol is permitted for both off-site and on-site consumption, as per normal licence provisions.
- The wearing of masks in public places is still mandatory, and failure to wear a mask when required remains a criminal offence.
“We thank all South Africans who have continued to support government efforts to contain the pandemic. We urge them to continue to do so until the pandemic is completely under control,” said the department in the statement.
It urged those who are not yet vaccinated from the age of 12 years to do so urgently in an effort to mitigate the challenges brought by Covid-19.
-The Citizen
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