The Sweet Service Award goes to the City of Cape Town and volunteer firefighters for their dedication and hard work in combatting and finally extinguishing the devastating fire at Rhodes Memorial, UCT, and Mostert’s Mill from Sunday – Tuesday this week. The helicopter water bombers must be commended too, as is every person who assisted in accommodating and feeding UCT residence students, for donating animal food, and for other acts of kindness. Continue reading →
I was fortunate to receive a copy of the gazetted Lockdown Level 2 regulations prior to the presentation by Minister Dlamini-Zuma at a Media Livestream just after lunch time today.
The Regulations are as follows:
1. The Curfew remains in place, from 22h00 – 4h00
2. A mask must be worn at all times when leaving one’s home, including in public transport
3. No more than 50 persons may attend a funeral
4. No evictions from own accommodation is allowed.
5. Any disputes regarding rented accommodation must be heard by the Rental Housing Tribunal
6. Gatherings are not allowed except for a funeral, a religious gathering, the workplace, conferences and meetings, cinemas (maximum of 50 persons), theatres, concerts, and live performances of up to 50 persons. casinos, auctions, sporting activities, weddings (limited to 50 persons), social events at one’s home with a maximum of 10 persons, fitness centres and gyms (maximum of 50 persons), sports fields, swimming pools (maximum of 50 persons), beaches, public parks, museums, galleries, libraries, Personal Care services, restaurants, bars (maximum of 50 persons), Taverns (maximum of 50 persons), Shebeens (maximum of 50 persons), tour operators, and all accommodation establishments including AirBnB (maximum of 50% of floor space).
7. Night clubs are not allowed to open.
8. The country’s borders remain closed except for ports (but cruise ship stops are still banned), and for approved flights for persons requiring international medical care, and for incoming and outgoing repatriation travel.
9. Transport regulations: buses and taxis may not carry more than 70% for long distance travel, and 100% for any other travel; all passengers must wear a mask.
10. Licensed on-consumption establishments may sell alcohol (no timing restrictions) , while licensed off-consumption outlets may sell alcohol on Mondays – Thursdays, from 9h00 – 17h00.
A shock is that the ban on cigarette sales, which the President announced would be lifted, is not mentioned in the gazetted Level 2 regulations at all. A news report by News24 states: ‘Level two has no provisions on tobacco, which means no restrictions or limits in the sale of cigarettes, vaping liquid, pipe tobacco, chewing tobacco, or anything associated with these products’. In her speech, the Minister mentioned that cigarettes should be smoked responsibly, and should not be shared!
Chris von Ulmenstein, WhaleTales Blog: www.chrisvonulmenstein.com/blog Tel +27 082 55 11 323 Twitter:@Ulmenstein Facebook: Chris von Ulmenstein, My Cape Town Guide/Mein Kapstadt Guide Instagram: @Chrissy_Ulmenstein @MyCapeTownGuide
The South African Restaurant industry is very close to collapse, and is in urgent need of a cash flow injection to survive, a major finding of a study conducted last month, as a follow-up to a survey which the Esus-Group conducted in June 2020. The lifting of the alcohol ban from midnight tonight is a step in the right direction but the Curfew must be lifted too and the international borders must be opened, says Restaurateur Giles Blanc, and Co-Director of the Esus-Group, which has international Hospitality interests, and owns The 41 and The Korner restaurants in Cape Town. Blanc announced on Friday that he will soon reopen The 41 for the first time since Lockdown commenced in March. Continue reading →
Thursday 30 July 2020, Day 60 of Level 3, after 66 days of Levels 5 and 4 😷
Corona Gratitude 🙏
#Grateful for a beautiful day, also 18C, but it felt warmer than yesterday; for a lazy morning, yesterday’s Quentin’s Restaurant Review rolling into today, leading me to go on a mid-morning walk to check out a police roadblock I heard about, but it had already finished, so I went shopping at Woolies instead; for the good news that my official Tourist Guide card is ready, and that I can fetch it on Tuesday – the department only opens twice a week, even though Tourist Guides have officially been allowed back in business since the beginning of June ; for listening to a National Tourist Guides Association webinar about claiming for the Tourist Guide Relief Fund, it finding one and one not having to fill in any forms – the question is if I am on the provincial list already, as it took them two months to register us!; for the surprise of our Tourism Minister making an announcement about the Curfew being pushed back by an hour, to give some relief to the Restaurant industry, unexpected that a national regulation is changed for the sake of Restaurants and diners; for another walk to Camps Bay, and more shopping at Woolies, bringing a shopping bag this time, and spending time at the Tidal Pool, savouring the reflections in it; for receiving delivery of a special top from Out of the Blue, a bargain I saw on their Instagram account, and fitting perfectly; for a good dose of Vit D on the terrace; and for being happy and healthy. 🙏💙 Continue reading →