News / E-Bulletin
Urgent update: Amendments to lockdown level 3 regulations
Jun 29,2020
by Jacques van Wyk, Director; Andre van Heerden, Senior Associate; and Thabisa Yantolo, Candidate Attorney
On 25 June 2020 the Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Dr Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma (“Minister“), published, by way of Government Gazette, amendments to the Regulations (“Amendments“) to the Disaster Management Act 57 of 2002. We have highlighted a few of the amendments below.
Businesses and activities now permitted
The Amendments
permit more activities and businesses to operate during level 3 of the national
lockdown. The businesses and / or those participating in the activities must
adhere to any measures provided in directions issued by the relevant Cabinet
member.
Below are the additional activities / businesses
which are now permitted to operate:
- Conferences and meetings for business purposes
- There is a limit of 50 persons,
excluding those who participate through electronic platforms.
- This is subject to compliance
with all health protocols and social distancing measures as provided for in
directions still to be issued.
- Cinemas
- There is a limit of 50 persons.
- The sale of tickets must be
through a booking system.
- This is subject to compliance
with all health protocols and social distancing measures as provided for in
directions still to be issued.
- Theatres
- There is a limit of 50 persons.
- There is also a limit of 15
persons on the performers and crew including live streaming or recording for
distribution on digital platforms.
- This is subject to compliance
with all health protocols and social distancing measures as provided for in
directions still to be issued.
- Casinos
- The number of persons permitted
in the casino may not be more than 50 percent of the available floor space
taking into account the required social distancing.
- The patrons must observe at
least one and a half metres distance from each other.
- This is subject to compliance
with all health protocols and social distancing measures as provided for in
directions still to be issued.
- Sporting activities
- Non-contact sports matches,
which may only include players, match officials, journalists, medical and
television crew.
- Contact sports are permitted
for training only.
- Museums, galleries, libraries and archives
- This is subject to compliance
with all health protocols and social distancing measures as provided for in
directions still to be issued.
- Restaurants
- This is subject to compliance
with all health protocols and social distancing measures as provided for in
directions still to be issued.
The following
economic exclusions still apply:
- On-site consumption of liquor;
- Short term home-sharing /
letting / leasing / rental for leisure purposes;
- Domestic passenger air travel
for leisure purposes, until directions with health protocols and social
distancing measures are issued by the relevant Cabinet member responsible for
transport;
- Passenger ships for leisure
purposes;
- Sporting events, except as
provided in the Regulations;
- Exclusions relating to public
transport services as set out in directions issued by the Cabinet member
responsible for transport; and
- Exclusions relating to
education services as set out in the directions issued by the Cabinet members
responsible for education.
Places and premises now permitted to open
The following
places / premises are no longer
closed to the public –
- Sports grounds and fields and
swimming pools for training professional athletes, non‑contact sports matches
and contact sports for training only with restricted of facilities;
- Accredited and licensed
accommodation establishments; and
- Conference facilities for
business.
The following
places / premises remain closed
- Gyms and
fitness centres;
- Sports
grounds and fields and swimming pools except for the purposes referred to in
the Amendments;
- Accommodation
establishments not formally accredited and licensed, such as private homes for
paid leisure accommodation;
- Conference
facilities, except for business use as referred to in the Amendments;
- Any on-consumption
premises, including bars, taverns, shebeens and similar establishments, except
as provided for in the Regulations; and
- Beaches
and public parks.
Movement of persons
The following are the amendments in relation to the movement of persons:
- People may exercise in
organised groups of not more than four people and must adhere to health
protocols and social distancing measures;
- People may travel for leisure
purposes, however, may not do so across provinces; and
- Travel between metropolitan
areas, district areas and hotspots is no longer prohibited, provided it is
undertaken for a recognised reasons as per the Regulations.
Contact tracing through mobile device or computer
access
The Amendments
allow for the National Department of Health to develop and implement electronic
systems or applications that would be used on mobile devices or computers in
order to collect information from the public. This would be done on a voluntary
basis and information is to be stored in the Covid-19 Database for the purposes
of contact tracing. The Amendments set out various regulations on the
collection and storing of this information.
The full Amendments may be accessed at: https://www.gov.za/sites/default/files/gcis_document/202006/43476gon714.pdf.