Natasha Archary
Addressing the nation on Sunday, 28 February, President Ramaphosa pushed the country into an alert level 1 category.
Over the past two weeks, the decline in COVID-19 infections contributed to the National Coronavirus Command Council and Ramaphosa easing COVID-19 regulations.
A year under the pandemic’s grip
A year after the COVID-19 virus reached South Africa, over one and a half million South Africans were infected. With over 50 000 people in the country dying from the virus.
Since the Johnson & Johnson vaccine was rolled out to healthcare workers and the private sector, Ramaphosa believes the country “has a clear path in containing infections and ultimately overcoming the disease.”
The country received delivery of a further 80,000 doses of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine yesterday. The president confirmed that the vaccination program has gone off without a hitch.
What changes does alert level 1 bring?
The new alert level comes into effect from Monday 1 March, once the regulations have been gazetted.
[Speech] President Cyril Ramaphosa on South Africa’s progress in national effort to contain Coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic
Click: https://t.co/nGBG2RJIK0 #Level1 pic.twitter.com/hXBFTl7FJM
— South African Government (@GovernmentZA) February 28, 2021
Changes include:
- A new curfew from midnight to 04h00am.
- Gatherings are permitted subject to venue capacity. Indoor gatherings may not exceed 100, and outdoor venues cannot exceed 250 people. Where the venue is restricted due to size, no more than 50% of the venue can be used.
- It is still mandatory to use a face mask when out in public; failure to do so is a public offence.
Wearing of your mask is still important under alert #level1 pic.twitter.com/ZbjdmZ7cHV
— South African Government (@GovernmentZA) February 28, 2021
- The sale of alcohol is permitted however, not during the curfew.
Alcohol under alert #level1 pic.twitter.com/RdfhSrcfxb
— South African Government (@GovernmentZA) February 28, 2021
- Only five airports will be open for international travel with standard infection control measures. These include OR Tambo, King Shaka, Cape Town, Kruger Mpumalanga, and Lanseria.
- The 33 land border posts that were closed throughout this period will remain closed, while the other 20 will open.
- Night vigils and other gatherings before or after a funeral are still not permitted.
- Nightclubs remain closed.
Alert level 1 means that most of the remaining restrictions on economic activity have been removed. The hope is that this leads to higher consumer spend bolstering the steady recovery in employment.
Feature image: GCIS



