Lockdown to be eased, but slowly
• Many restrictions to remain in place • SA to move from level five to level four
The Covid-19 national lockdown will ease slightly from the beginning of May. Some businesses will reopen under strict conditions, but many of the current restrictions will remain in place, as the risk of infection remains high, the government says.
President Cyril Ramaphosa announced on Thursday evening that SA is to implement a risk-adjusted strategy through which the government will take a deliberate and cautious approach to the easing of the current lockdown restrictions.
The country is to move from level five, the most drastic, to level four, which means that some activity can be allowed to resume, subject to extreme precautions required to limit community transmission and outbreaks, he said.
“We have decided on this approach because there is still much that is unknown about the rate and manner of the spread of the virus within our population,”
Ramaphosa said.
“The action we take now must therefore be measured and incremental.”
SA implemented one of the world’s most stringent national lockdowns from March 27, confining all but essential workers to their homes and bringing large parts of the economy to an abrupt halt. The current lockdown comes to an end at midnight on May 1.
SA has 3,953 confirmed cases of coronavirus and 75 deaths as of Thursday.
Ramaphosa said the coronavirus command council will determine the alert level based on an assessment of the infection rate and the capacity of the country’s health system to provide care to those who need it.
To ensure that SA’s response to the pandemic is as precise and targeted as possible, there will be a national level and separate levels for each province, district and metro.
From Friday next week,
businesses that are permitted to resume operations will have to do so in a phased manner that will only allow for the return of the workforce in batches of no more than one-third. Ministers will brief the nation at a later stage on which sectors will be allowed to return to work.
Ramaphosa said in some cases, a sector will not be able to return to full production during level four while the risk of infection remains high. More details will be provided next week.
Despite some sectors coming back online, the president encouraged those who could to adopt a work-from-home strategy and staff who are able to work remotely should be allowed to do so.
No details were given on the reopening of schools and other educational institutions, but Ramaphosa said the relevant ministers will provide details on the process for the phased reopening of these.
“As we gradually ease the restrictions, it is necessary that many of the measures to contain the spread of the virus remain in place,” Ramaphosa said.
As the country moves to level four next week, borders will remain closed to international travel, except for the repatriation of SA nationals and foreign citizens. The travel between provinces will also still be prohibited, except for the transportation of goods and exceptional circumstances such as funerals, he said.
Public transport will continue to operate, with limitations on the number of passengers, who must all wear face masks.
Ramaphosa said the public is encouraged, as during the full national lockdown, to stay at home other than for essential personal movement, doing essential work and work in sectors under controlled opening.
The government is calling on all citizens to wear face masks in public, he said
South Africans will be allowed to exercise from May 1 but under strict public conditions.
The ban on the sale of cigarettes will also be lifted, but Ramaphosa made no mention of the sale of alcohol. However, bars and shebeens will remained closed.
The president said the range of goods that may be sold will be announced by the relevant ministers.
All gatherings, apart from funerals and for work, will remain prohibited. Conference and convention centres, entertainment venues, cinemas, and theatres will remain closed. Concerts, sporting events, and religious, cultural and social gatherings will not be allowed either.
PRESIDENT CYRIL RAMAPHOSA GAVE NO DETAILS ON THE REOPENING OF SCHOOLS AND OTHER EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS