SA lockdown changes: Nine activities that are banned from today
The lockdown changes announced by Cyril Ramaphosa on Monday have officially come into effect, from 00:01 on 15 December. A wave of new national restrictions – alongside two official new hot-spots – were revealed during the president’s address, as the brakes were put on Christmas celebrations for millions of South Africans.
How long will these new restrictions be in place?
The lockdown changes are in place until 3 January, with a review coming up in the first few days of the new year. The official hot-spots of South Africa – where the virus is at its most rampant’ – are Nelson Mandela Bay, Sarah Baartman, and the Garden Route. These regions are subject to tighter restrictions, but the whole country is now feeling the pinch…
We’ve put together a handy table, which explains what activities are banned from Tuesday onwards – and where these lockdown changes will be taking place. Many are countrywide, but there are a number of location-specific regulations to take note of. Here’s everything you need to know about our Christmas restrictions:
Lockdown changes: What activities are ‘banned’, and where?
| Activity | Where | Restrictions explained |
| Visiting a beach | E. Cape, parts of KZN, Garden Route | – All beaches closed in the Eastern Cape until 3 Jan. – KZN beaches closed on 16, 25, 26, and 31 Dec. – KwaZulu-Natal also facing closures from 1-3 Jan. – Garden Route beach visits banned entirely. – Western, Northern Cape allowed to stay open. |
| Buying alcohol over the weekend | Hot-spots and NATIONAL | – No booze purchases allowed on Fri, Sat, Sun. – Bottle stores only open 10:00 – 18:00, Mon – Thurs. – Bars must close an hour earlier across SA. – Wine farms are exempt from these lockdown changes |
| Attending a large gathering outdoors | NATIONAL | – No more than 250 people can gather outdoors. – Venues only allowed to be a max of 50% full. |
| Attending a large gathering indoors | NATIONAL | – No more than 100 people can congregate indoors. – Venues only allowed to be a max of 50% full. |
| Going to an ‘after tears’ party | NATIONAL | – Post funeral gatherings have been shutdown. |
| Staying out past 22:00 | All hot-spot areas | – A six-hour curfew from 22:00 – 4:00 is in effect. – Bars and restaurants must close at 21:00. |
| Staying out past 23:00 | All non-hot-spot areas | – A five-hour curfew from 23:00 – 4:00 is in effect. – Bars and restaurants must close at 22:00. |
| Meeting in the park outside of ‘peak hours’ | NATIONAL | – People can only go to public parks from 9:00 – 18:00. |
| Drinking in public | NATIONAL | – All drinking in public spaces (parks, beaches) banned. |
President #Ramaphosa: Therefore, the following measures will be implemented:
— Presidency | South Africa 🇿🇦 (@PresidencyZA) December 14, 2020
The hours of the #curfew will be longer, starting at 11pm and ending at 4am. pic.twitter.com/uRHBu8wcyw
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