Cape Town - AS South Africans prepare for an unprecedented New Year’s period amid stricter lockdown regulations, government has released the newly-gazetted and adjusted Alert Level 3 disaster regulations.
The new regulations state that every person is confined to his or her place of residence from 9pm until 6am daily, and any person who fails to abide by the curfew will be liable to a fine or a period of imprisonment not exceeding six months.
Cinemas, theatres, casinos, museums, galleries and archives, gyms and fitness centres, restaurants, venues hosting auctions, and venues hosting professional sport will have to close at 8pm.
President Cyril Ramaphosa said in his address on Monday that the number of new infections is climbing at an unprecedented rate with more than 50 000 new cases reported since Christmas Eve.
Majority of new cases are emerging in KwaZulu-Natal, the Western Cape, Gauteng and the Eastern Cape, Ramaphosa said.
“Several of the level 3 regulations are being strengthened to further limit the potential for transmission, while doing everything possible to keep the economy open. We have adjusted the restrictions that will apply at level 3 based on the lessons we have learned through our response to date,” Ramaphosa said.
“There are four main reasons for this step: Firstly, we want to minimise the risk of super-spreading events even further. As the number of people with active infections rises, there is a greater risk of an infected person without symptoms being present in a gathering and spreading the virus.
“Secondly, we want to decrease unsafe interactions between people.
“Thirdly, we want to increase the implementation of our five key prevention measures – social distancing, masks, hand hygiene, symptom-checking and testing.
“Fourthly, we want to decrease the burden on health care services so that resources can be directed to meet the needs of Covid-19 and other patients,” Ramaphosa said.
Further implications of the on-the-ground adjusted Alert Level Three regulations relate to:
(blob) Eviction and demolition of places of residence: A person may not be evicted from his or her land or home or have his or her place of residence demolished for the duration of the national state of disaster unless a competent court has granted an order authorising the eviction or demolition; and
(blob) The Rental Housing Tribunals must determine fair procedures for the urgent hearing of disputes or may grant an urgent ex parte spoliation order including to restore the occupation of a dwelling or access to services.
During the national state of disaster, the imposition of any penalty for the late payment of rental where the default is caused by the disaster, whether or not the penalty takes the form of an administrative charge or any other form other than interest, is also presumed to be unfair.
– Initiation practices are prohibited nationally with no new initiations permitted, except for those who are already in an initiation school in the Eastern Cape;
– All visits to correctional centres, remand detention facilities, police holding cells, military detention facilities, health establishments and facilities except to receive treatment or medication, and older persons' residential facilities, are prohibited except to the extent and in the manner directed by the relevant Cabinet member.
– The 18 land borders which were partially operational, will be fully operational and the 34 land borders which were closed, will remain closed except for the Kosibay Port of Entry which will reopen on January 1, 2021.