New Year’s Eve celebrations to be cut short by latest curfew

While many of us hoped that disappointing news and restrictions would remain in 2020, it doesn’t look as though it’s guaranteed to play out that way. We’re approaching Christmas, we’re in the middle of the festive season and there is an obvious second wave which doesn’t seem to be letting up. Based on that, President Cyril Ramaphosa took to the podium on Monday evening with a list of restrictions to best mitigate the impact of COVID-19 — one of them — a curfew which is likely to affect the usual New Year’s Eve gatherings. 

While Ramaphosa touched on alcohol restrictions and no-go beaches, he placed big emphasis on social gatherings, saying that it has been one of the biggest contributing factors to an increase in infections, using the matric Rage festival in Ballito, KwaZulu-Natal as an example. In saying that, a new curfew was introduced to try and lessen the likelihood or duration of gatherings.  

NEW CURFEW INTRODUCED

Firstly, the Sarah Baartman District Municipality and the Garden Route in the Western Cape were also dubbed hotspots like Nelson Mandela Bay, meaning that in those areas, a curfew of 22:00 to 4:00 would be implemented. This also means that restaurants in the area should close at 21:00 so that staff are able to meet the 22:00 deadline. 

Apart from those three hotspots, a new nationwide curfew was also introduced meaning that the rest of the country should be back in their homes every night by 23:00. This would then last until 4:00 as well. This means that restaurants should close by 22:00 so that staff may be home by 23:00. 

Most of all, an 23:00 curfew would definitely throw a spanner in the works when it comes to iconic and traditional gatherings such as Christmas Eve, New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day. 

WILL NEW YEAR’S EVE CELEBRATIONS BE AFFECTED? 

The answer is most likely yes. On Monday evening Ramaphosa said the hours of curfew also apply to Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve. 

“This means that we will all need to make changes to the way in which we celebrate these occasions,” said Ramaphosa. 

Now many of us know that in the past Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve have been spent with family or friends ringing in the new day which obviously includes sticking around until midnight and wishing those you’re with. 

This year, we have done many things differently and the festive season appears to be no different. With a 23:00 curfew firmly in place, obviously ringing in the New Year and hosting a countdown with those you love may not be possible as one would need to be inside their homes an hour before midnight. 

Ramaphosa also said that those caught breaking lockdown regulations and restrictions would either be slapped with a fine or could spend six months in jail. According to the president, it appears we are now faced with finding a new way of ringing in the New Year.