For the first time in South Africa’s 25 years of democracy, Ramaphosa announced restrictions which will be every South African’s responsibility to follow bare to help stop the spread of Covid-19 infections.
The disease jumped massively from 61 to 402 cases in just eight days, and so it is up to South Africa to make the change and UNITE as one.
The lockdown will be effective from midnight on Thursday 26 March until midnight on Thursday 16 April, President Cyril Ramaphosa announced last night.
This is what you need to know:
Non-South Africans arriving on flights from high-risk countries we prohibited a week ago will be turned back
All shops and businesses will be closed, except for supermarkets, pharmacies, laboratories, banks, essential financial and payment services, including the JSE, petrol stations and health care providers
Companies that are essential to the production and transportation of food, basic goods and medical supplies will remain open
You will not be allowed to leave your home except under strict circumstances, such as to seek medical care, buy food, medicine and other supplies or collect a social grant4. The South African National Defence Force will be deployed to support the South African Police Service to ensure the lockdown is implemented
There will be a significant increase in screening, testing, contact tracing and medical management
South African citizens and residents arriving from high-risk countries will automatically be placed under quarantine for 14 days
Emergency water supplies will be provided to informal settlements and rural areas
A tax subsidy of up to R500 per month will kick in for the next four months for private sector employees earning below R6 500
Any employee who falls ill through exposure at their workplace will be paid through the Compensation Fund
International flights to Lanseria Airport will be temporarily suspended
International travellers who arrived in South Africa after 9 March 2020 from high-risk countries will be confined to their hotels until they have completed a 14-day period of quarantine
Anyone breaking the rules could be punished with imprisonment for up to one month or with a fine.
