SOUTH AFRICA - LEVEL 4! HERE'S WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE REGULATIONS

Members of the National Coronavirus Command Council are expected to outline the regulations relating to the COVID-19 Level 4 restrictions this evening in Pretoria.

Cooperative Governance Minister Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma says this briefing is ahead of SA moving from level 5 to level 4 and the risk-adjusted approach which has been adopted to allow economy to open but contain the spread of virus.

Under level 4, people must go home after work, don’t visit friends etc. You have to be at home between 8pm and 5pm or have a permit to be out.

the Minister says you can now cycle, run and walk as long as it is within a 5km radius of your home – but not in groups and only between 6am and 9am.

The Minister says 70 000 submissions were received on the regulations, over 800 from the business sector. The most popular submission was regarding exercise - 2000 submissions were received on exercise.

There will be a once-off allowance to move from one province to another. Once you have arrived, you can’t go home on the weekends, you have to stay in that province.

SA’s borders are still closed except for goods. The movement of people is only allowed under very exceptional circumstances. When they return they must be quarantined for 14 days.

Something that came out strongly during submissions was opening beauty salons and hairdressers, but these services require contact and it could not be allowed, says the Minister.

The Minister says hotels and guesthouses will not be allowed to be open unless for quarantine purposes.

Restaurants can open for takeaways for delivery to homes. No alcohol is allowed. They had consulted about allowing cigarettes and related products and government has decided that it will not be allowed.

The Minister reiterates recreational visits are not allowed and people should not be evicted from their residences.

Taxis and private cars can operate like they have been, but buses and rail will be opened under strict conditions

The Minister warns that you will face a fine or imprisonment if you don't abide by the rules.

Minister Patel says there was a short but valuable consultation process, many took time to make submissions. This process allowed concerns to be raised with government. 850 submissions were made by business.

There must be a cautious approach to easing the lockdown measures, balanced with not spreading the virus and avoiding getting to a point where we need to implement level 5 again.

Our main focus must be to avoid a significant rise in infections. There should be a phasing in of employees. Companies should structure arrangements to rotate employees.

Shoes, bedding, winter clothes, children’s clothes, home office equipment and hardware will be opened under level 4, also e-commerce will be expanded incrementally, more products will be added to the list of products they can sell.

Patel says the level 4 phase will leave many businesses still closed, while others only open marginally. However, all agriculture, half of manufacturing will be open.

Minister of Trade and Industry Ebrahim Patel says there is an alert system to monitor the risk of the spread of COVID-19 as SA opens the economy.

Thoko Didiza, Minister of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development, says all of the agriculture sector will be opened under level 4, under strict protective and hygiene conditions. All exports will be opened.