SAMA want stricter lockdown – with ‘longer weekend curfews’ on the cards

The SA Medical Association (SAMA) has picked holes in Cyril Ramaphosa’s latest set of lockdown laws. Despite welcoming some of the changes, the experts feel that restrictions ‘do not go far enough’ to curb the spread of the virus – and they’re now championing the idea of an ‘extended weekend curfew’.

Why does SAMA want extended curfew hours?

Under SAMA’s proposals, the hours of curfew would be significantly longer on a Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. This would be to prevent against ‘COVID complacency’ experienced when people are drinking late into the night, and tend to let their guard down as the booze continues to flow.

Dr. Angelique Coetzee has told the media that things are working pretty well in the week, but come party time, the government needs to stamp out the sheer amount of rule-breaking that takes place. These suggestions will, to all intents and purposes, go down like a lead balloon with the public – who are already showing signs of ‘virus fatigue’.

SAMA also want lockdown laws on gatherings to be stricter

Coetzee lamented the ‘false sense of security’ displayed by many South Africans recently, and on top of an extended curfew, she would also like to see the size of gatherings limited in Mzansi while the third wave is building momentum. In a statement published this week, SAMA made it clear that ‘tighter measures’ should be in President Ramaphosa’s plans.

“We’d like to see a longer, stricter weekend curfew. If you look at the curfew during the week, we are very happy about it. The problem, however, is people tend to party and tend to come together over weekends.”

“Although the move to restrict gatherings to 100 people indoors and 250 people outdoors is welcome, it does not go far enough, and stricter measures must be put in place – especially for indoor venues.” SAMA statement