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Well, we all kind of knew it was coming.
Talk of a ‘mini-lockdown’ in the Western Cape has been doing the rounds for a while now, and holidaymakers in Plett and other popular Garden Route destinations have been told it won’t be business as usual this festive season.
Now, News24 reports that following a series of meetings this week, “the National Coronavirus Command Council (NCCC) has agreed that there should be a 10PM curfew in Covid-19 hotspot areas across the country”.
In addition, the NCCC has also agreed that alcohol sales should be restricted to Monday to Thursday, and that pubs and taverns should be shut at 9PM.
I give it about half an hour until the fake voicenotes start doing the rounds, and about an hour until there’s a queue outside every liquor store in the country.
Deep breaths, people, although my sincerest condolences to wine farms and the like, for whom being unable to sell alcohol on the weekend is a real blow.
More from the News24 report:
It further recommended that public gatherings in these hotspot areas should be limited to 100 people indoors and 250 outdoors, including for religious events, sources close to the meeting said.
News24 understands that those at the meeting on Tuesday agreed that there should be regionalised restrictions in place to curb the spread of the virus in hotspot areas, such as Nelson Mandela Bay and the Garden Route. The list of Covid-19 hotspot areas is not finite, but the government has focused its attention on the Western Cape and Eastern Cape.
For the rest of the country, it appears that Level 1 one of the nationwide lockdown will remain in place, according to sources.
The NCCC recommendations are being discussed this morning, during a meeting of the Presidential Coordinating Council, which is attended by premiers, mayors, and local government representatives.
There will definitely be some pushback, especially from the likes of Western Cape Premier Alan Winde:
“There will be some counter-proposals but I think there is agreement that we cannot afford stricter regulations as much as we need it. We just can’t afford it,” an insider said.
It’s expected that Cabinet will meet this week to rubber stamp the NCCC recommendations, with President Ramapahosa then announcing the measures following that meeting.
We may be in for an 8PM address, then.
You can read that full report here.
[source:news24]
