Just before midnight last night the Government released the updated Level 3 regulations for the businesses which are allowed to reopen, including Restaurants for Sit-Down Service, Personal Care businesses, theaters, cinemas, and casinos.  Whilst the dreadful news that ‘on-site consumption of alcohol is prohibited’, seemingly not only in restaurants, is confirmed through the new regulations, Restaurateurs remain in the dark as to when Restaurants are allowed to reopen, and which regulations are to be followed. While theaters and cinemas have an attendance limit announced in the updated Level 3 regulations, they too do not have reopening dates. Should 1 July be the reopening date, Restaurants will have less than five days to get themselves organised and prepared for reopening!

Corona Lockdown: Government keeps Restaurants in the dark as to reopening date and regulations for Sit-Down Service!

The latest Regulation pertaining to Restaurants, gazetted last night,  reads as follows:

S4(1)l – ‘restaurants, subject to the strict adherence to all health protocols and social distancing measures as provided for in directions that must be issued by the responsible Cabinet member, after consultation with the Cabinet member responsible for health’

In its communication to the Restaurant Industry, the Restaurant Association of South Africa wrote the following this evening: ‘Regrettably, this is very vague and is not what we expected. It merely passes the buck from the NCCC to the Minister of Tourism. Our attorneys, Mooney Ford, will be writing to the Minister requesting the immediate release of these directions’.

 

Regulations for Cinemas are the following:

1.  A maximum of 50 attendees
2. Tickets to be sold via a booking system
3. ‘Strict adherence to all health protocols and social distancing measures as provided for in directions that must be issued by the responsible Cabinet member, after consultation with the Cabinet member responsible for health’

 

Regulations for Theaters are the following:

1.  A maximum of 50 theatre-goers

2.  A maximum of 15 crew members and performers

3.  ‘Strict adherence to all health protocols and social distancing measures as provided for in directions that must be issued by the responsible Cabinet member, after consultation with the Cabinet member responsible for health’

 

Regulations for Casinos are the following:

1. ‘A restriction of the number of persons allowed in the casino to not more than 50 percent of the available floor space, with patrons observing a distance of at least one and a half metres from each other. Provided that this percentage may be increased as provided for in directions issued by the Cabinet Minister’.  This regulation makes no sense at al!

2. Strict adherence to all health protocols and social distancing measures as provided for in directions that must be issued by the responsible Cabinet member, after consultation with the Cabinet member responsible for health’.

 

it is apparent that the Government ran out of time, and had a deadline for the end of the day yesterday, in that no specific regulations and reopening dates have been confirmed for Sit-Down service in Restaurants, theatres, cinemas, casinos, museums, libraries, and art galleries.

 

It it is no surprise that the first Restaurants are defiantly opening their doors for Sit-Down service, despite the regulations and the official reopening date not yet being announced.

 

About Chris von Ulmenstein

Chris von Ulmenstein, WhaleTales Blog: www.chrisvonulmenstein.com/blog Tel +27 082 55 11 323 Twitter:@Ulmenstein Facebook: Chris von Ulmenstein Instagram: @Chrissy_Ulmenstein