After nearly two years of various curfews, government has decided to scrap the curfew with immediate effect following an announcement last night and just in time for New Year’s Eve celebrations.
In a statement released by the presidency, cabinet approved new adjusted lockdown level 1 measures that included the removal of the curfew that had been in place since March 2020 when coronavirus first hit South African shores.
There had been growing pressure on President Ramaphosa and government this week to remove the midnight curfew ahead of NYE celebrations and the move was welcomed by the hospitality and restaurant industry who will now be allowed to operate past 23:00 if they have the requisite liquor license.
Some of the other new adjusted level 1 changes include increasing gatherings to 1000 people indoors (up from 750) and 2000 people outdoors and when the venue cannot accommodate those numbers with the required social distances then no more than 50% of the venue capacity may be occupied.
Here’s a handy quick guide to the new restrictions.
The presidency said the country may have passed the peak of the fourth wave at a national level, but this does not mean that we are free to go wild.
“Cases declined in all provinces except the Western Cape and Eastern Cape, which recorded increases of 14% and 18%, respectively. There has been a decline in hospital admissions in all provinces except the Western Cape.
“While the Omicron variant is highly transmissible, there has been lower rates of hospitalisation than in previous waves. This means that the country has a spare capacity for admission of patients even for routine health services. There is a marginal increase in the number of deaths in all the provinces.”
South Africa registered 12,979 new coronavirus cases yesterday.
In other parts of the world, governments have scrambled to cancel or scale back New Year’s Eve celebrations against the backdrop of a surge in infections. In most major European cities, events that normally draw thousands of people were mostly cancelled but in other parts of the world, smaller restricted events would go on as planned despite spikes in infections. New York City will still host its annual Times Square celebration while in Australia, the Sydney Harbour will forge ahead with its fireworks display.
Meanwhile, researchers say that a new study showed that a second dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine cuts hospitalisation by 85% for the omicron variant. Good news for some half a million healthcare workers that received the J&J vaccine during the first phase of the vaccine rollout earlier this year.
The study conducted by the South African Medical Research Council, “found that protection levels rose in the weeks and months after a booster dose was given to those who previously received the J&J vaccine,” reports Bloomberg.
Glenda Gray, lead researcher and president of the SA Medical Research Council called the results “important and reassuring”.
So, wherever you’re celebrating this evening please remember to continue to practice social distancing, wear a mask, and sanitise. Why not go one better and get the vaccine if you haven’t done so already?
A quick look at the currency markets, the Rand was on a rollercoaster ride yesterday, trading as weak as R16.02 to the Dollar at one point during the day but ended up settling just below the R16/$ mark. This morning the local unit opened trading at R15.91/$.
Finally, from the team at SAccess, we wish you a very happy and prosperous New Year.
Here’s a roundup of the world’s top and most interesting headlines:
SA Business
Good news for load-shedding — Kusile unit added to the grid – My Broadband
The average cost of app banking fraud in South Africa per transaction – BusinessTech
Pick n Pay denies customer data was exposed online despite ‘glitch’ – Fin24
Global Business
China’s Huawei says 2021 revenues down almost 30%, sees challenges ahead – Reuters
Tesla recalls nearly half a million cars over safety issues – SABC News
Planes flying potatoes to Japan to help limit shortage of fries, which led McDonald’s to cut servings – Business Insider
Markets
Asian Stocks Up, Chinese Data Exceeds Expectations – Investing.com
Chinese tech stocks drive Hong Kong gains – AFP
U.S. stocks lower at close of trade; Dow Jones Industrial Average down 0.25% – Investing.com
Opinion/In-depth
The Shell interdict judgment is a step towards ‘The People Shall Rule’ and a lesson for the government – Daily Maverick
Speculation grows that Maxwell may try to cut a deal for reduced sentence – The Guardian
Five South African Venture Capital firms to watch in 2022 – Ventureburn
Video
Day two of Archbishop Desmond Tutu lying in state – eNCA
Apple puts Foxconn’s India plant on notice – Reuters
Gold’s corrective episode is probably over – AusBiz Video
Feature image: Pixabay
