Gert Sibande District Municipality lists public facilities and activities that are currently banned due to Covid-19

The Gert Sibande District Municipality has placed a restriction and in some instances, also a ban on the use of public facilities and public gatherings during the Covid-19 outbreak.

The district municipality covers the entire eastern Highveld region, from Balfour to Piet Retief.

The municipal manager issued a notice, listing a variety of facilities and activities that are temporarily banned.

Indoor and outdoor facilities:

• public swimming pools and spa baths
• indoor and outdoor sport facilities such as gymnasia, sport stadiums, arenas and pavilions
• casinos
• movie theatres
• amusement arcades
• amusement parks
• any place where the public assemble to engage in physical exercise, sports events or for recreational purposes

Mass social gatherings and meetings that are temporarily prohibited, include:

• concerts
• weddings
• worship and ministry functions
• carnivals
• conferences
• auctions
• community meetings
• stokvels
• social clubs and gatherings
• imbizos, cultural and traditional events or celebrations
• national, provincial and local calendar events
• public parks
• libraries
• Any other mass gathering in open air or in a building or premises, except where the district municipality has authorised it.

The following restrictions apply to funeral services and processions:

• no night vigils or overnight church services are allowed
• no church services are allowed in any social gathering centres such as community centres, temporary structures, schools or church buildings
• funeral services must only be held at the home of the deceased
• only the immediate family members of the deceased are to be in attendance of the funeral service, including processions to the burial site
• the funeral service and procession must be finalised within an hour
• catering at funerals during this period must only be take-aways and no sit-downs will be allowed
• the funeral undertaker must ensure that hygiene principles are in place with proper handwashing and disinfection during funeral services and processions

Establishments that sell liquor to be consumed on the premises and which must be closed immediately until further notice include:

• nightclubs
• bars
• pubs
• taverns
• lounges
• gaming premises
• any food establishments with on-consumption liquor facilities
• All places selling liquor can operate from Monday to Sat (9am-6pm) and on Sundays as well as public holidays between 9am-1pm.

No special liquor licence applications will be considered for approval

All off-premise consumption establishments such as liquor stores must only operate between 9am and 6pm during the week and from 9am to 1pm on weekends and public holidays.

Suspension of visits

Visits to the following facilities are temporarily suspended:

• Correctional centres such as prisons and community correctional centres
• Holding cells
• Juvenile centres
• Rehabilitation centres
• Private and public centres of care, including shelters, orphanages, disability centres, victim empowerment centres, mental health institutions, simulation centres, victim and crises centres and old age homes
• Any other place where people are treated or housed.