Ramaphosa moves country to adjusted level 1

Addressing the nation on Thursday night during what has come to be known as the country’s family meetings, Ramaphosa announced that the country would be placed under adjusted lockdown level one.

The new level comes into effect midnight on Thursday. 

The new regulations are as follows: 

• The hours of the curfew will change, from 12 midnight to 4 am. 

• Non-essential establishments like restaurants, bars and fitness centres will need to close by 11 pm to allow their employees and patrons to travel home before the start of the curfew. 

• The maximum number of people permitted to gather indoors will increase from 250 to 750, and the maximum number of people permitted to gather outdoors will increase from 500 to 2,000.

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• Where the venue is too small to accommodate these numbers with appropriate social distancing, then no more than 50 per cent 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 maximum number of people permitted at a funeral will increase from 50 to 100. As before, night vigils, after-funeral gatherings and ‘after-tears’ gatherings are not allowed. 

• The sale of alcohol – for both off-site and on-site consumption – will be permitted, according to normal licence provisions. However, no alcohol may be sold after 11 pm. 

• The wearing of masks in public places is still mandatory, and failure to wear a mask when required remains a criminal offence