With President Cyril Ramaphosa’s announcement on 30 September that the lockdown will ease to alert Level 1 with immediate effect from 1 October, retailers can breathe a little easier, especially the alcohol industry whose trading hours have been extended to almost ‘normal’ trading hours. The sale of alcohol – for both off-site and on-site consumption – will be permitted, according to normal licence provisions. (Who remembers what ‘normal’ is?)
Across the country, the Restaurant Association of South Africa (RASA) reported thousands of restaurants closing down during the harsher lockdown levels as they simply couldn’t keep their doors open. So, this is a significant reprieve to them, as we head toward the season that every retailer welcomes, the Christmas season.
While the curfew remains in place, it too has been adjusted to 00h00 to 04h00, which means we naturally hospitable South Africans can enjoy more relaxed meals in our superb selection of restaurants (well, in those that managed to remain in business), without having to dash home to dodge being arrested for breaking curfew.
Gyms too will be open to help with those Covid-kilos and, while you can shop, just don’t do it in crowds as numbers are dependent on the ratio of customers to floor space. So too, returning to the office is being phased in with health protocols strictly adhered to.
With the Level 1 adjustment, 750 people can now gather indoors, and up to 2000 people are permitted to assemble outdoors, while up to 100 people may attend funerals. Where the capacity of a venue does not allow for proper social distancing, the venue may only allow people to occupy up to 50% of its capacity.
The major exceptions that still affect the retail sector are restrictions on attending sporting events and going to nightclubs, although the President mentioned the further relaxing of restrictions around sporting and cultural events, with an announcement set to be made at a later date.
What has now become the accepted ‘standard’ protocols around masks, social distancing and sanitising hands remains in place — those inconveniences aside — Level 1 has been welcomed with open (sanitised) arms by the retail sector generally.
