Dear CEO Members
Tonight, President Cyril Ramaphosa announced that the national lockdown would be eased to level 3 as of 1 June 2020. The President indicated that relaxations are to be effected at this level of lockdown, whereby close to 8 million people will be able to return to work as the economy is gradually reopened.
HOTSPOT AREAS
The President, however, stated that a ‘differentiated approach’ would be taken on COVID-19 hotspot areas, being areas having more than five (5) active COVID-19 cases per hundred thousand (100,000) people. The President stated that the City of Cape Town is a particularly concentrated COVID-19 hotspot and accounts for about half of South Africa’s infections.
Members, please note the other hotspots:
- Tshwane;
- City of Johannesburg;
- Ekhuruleni;
- eThekwini;
- Buffalo City;
- Nelson Mandela Municipality;
- City of the Cape town; and
- Other Western Cape municipalities (Overberg, Cape Winelands, and Chris Hani)
These hotspot areas will be reviewed every two weeks. The President also added that any part of the country could be moved back to levels 4 or 5, where a spike spread of infections is observed.
CONFIRMED ACTIVE COVID-19 STATS
The President stated that confirmed COVID-19 cases are at 22,583, in South Africa; with an increase of 1,240 cases from yesterday (23 May 2020).
The total number of deaths are currently at 429; with an increase of 22 deaths as reported before.
The total active COVID-19 cases are currently at 11,000 active cases in South Africa; with 800 in hospital, and 128 in intensive care.
ALCOHOL A GO AND TOBACCO A NO
The President stated that the sale of tobacco is still prohibited; however, the purchase of alcohol will be allowed for personal home consumption as of 01 June 2020; more information herein will follow.
PROHIBITED SECTORS OF BUSINESS
Despite all areas of the economy that will be allowed to reopen from 01 June 2020, the President listed the following prohibited sectors of business which is to remain closed due to the nature of the sector/business:
- Restaurants, bars and pubs – except for the delivery and collection of food;
- Accommodation and air travel – except for business, announcements to follow;
- Conferences, events, entertainment and sporting activities; and
- Personal care, like hairdressing and beauty services. (more information to follow, as this sector information is still ambiguous)
THE CURFEW WILL BE NO MORE
The current curfew from 20h00 to 05h00 will no longer apply as of 01 June 2020. People will also be able to exercise at any time during the day on level 3 of the national lockdown; provided that exercise is not done in groups, and social distancing is still observed.
OTHER NOTEWORTHY CHANGES AS OF 01 JUNE 2020
The President also stated that limited domestic travel would be allowed. Where possible, employees should work remotely; people above sixty (60) years of age and/or medically compromised should stay at home.
Regarding schools, the President stated that a gradual intake of learners would be observed as of 01 June 2020, starting with grades 7 and 12; more information on this is to follow; parents will however not be forced to send their children to school.
Funerals will be permitted for a maximum of fifty (50) people; however, no night ceremonies may be conducted. Movement between provinces for the purposes of attending a funeral is permitted for spouses, partners, children, grandchildren, children in law, parents, sibling, or grandparent of the deceased. A travel permit is still however required for such travel whereby a copy of the death certificate or certified copy of the death certificate must be produced to the nearest police station or Magistrates Court in order to obtain the necessary Form 4 Annexure A permit in order to travel.
An official Government Gazette will follow, which we will share with our members as soon as we receive it.
Activities allowed under Level 3
Activities not allowed under Level 3
Queries / CEO Membership: For any queries of existing members, or enquiries on how to become a CEO member, please contact our head office at (012) 880 0294 or e-mail us at cb@ceosa.org.za
CEO Collective Bargaining Team