By Kaya 959 Reporter
South Africans can enjoy their New Year’s Eve celebrations without worrying about a midnight curfew.
Cabinet approved several changes to the Adjusted Alert Level 1 COVID-19 regulations on Thursday.
The changes come after several groups called on President Cyril Ramaphosa to end the midnight to 4am curfew.
The Democratic Alliance says it has never supported the curfew.
“Ending the curfew is an easy and logical way to boost the economy, particularly the restaurant and events industry, which are major employers and have taken huge strain and made immense sacrifices during the pandemic,” DA leader John Steenhuisen says in a statement.
He adds that the economy is not the only thing that will benefit from the curfew being lifted.
“National morale needs a boost too. People should be able to legally come together with friends and family to celebrate the start of 2022 and the end of an incredibly tough 2021.”
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New lockdown changes
The Presidency says South Africa appears to “have passed the peak of the fourth wave at a national level”.
Officials noted that while the Omicron variant is “highly transmissible”, there have been fewer hospitalisations in comparison to previous waves.
The new variant also appears to have milder symptoms.
Here’s a look at some of the changes made to the Adjusted Alert Level 1 lockdown:
- The curfew will be lifted. There will therefore be no restrictions on the hours of movement of people.
- Gatherings are restricted to no more than 1,000 people indoors and no more than 2,000 people outdoors. Small venues are not allowed to go over 50 per cent of their capacity.
- Alcohol establishments that have licences to operate beyond 23h00 will revert back to full licence conditions.
Government officials have urged South Africans to continue to wear masks and social distance while attending New Year’s Eve gatherings.
“The risk of increase in infections is still high given the high transmissibility of the Omicron variant. Government therefore calls on all organisers of these gatherings to ensure that all health protocols are observed at all times and that all attendees are encouraged to be vaccinated,” the presidency said.
Nearly 13,000 new COVID-19 cases were reported on Thursday. A total of 126 deaths were also recorded.
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