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Covid-19: Jail time or fine for people who break ‘lock down’ law

In an effort to “flatten the curve” of Covid-19 infections, President Cyril Ramaphosa has announced that South Africa will go on lockdown on Thursday midnight.

 

Here are 13 key points you need to know during lockdown. 

  1. You will not be allowed to leave your home except under strict circumstances, such as to seek medical care, buy food, medicine and other supplies or collect a social grant.
  2. All shops and businesses will be closed, except for supermarkets, pharmacies, laboratories, banks, essential financial and payment services, including the JSE, petrol stations and health care providers.
  3. Companies that are essential to the production and transportation of food, basic goods and medical supplies will remain open.
  4. The South African National Defence Force will be deployed to support the South African Police Service to ensure the lockdown is implemented.
  5. There will be a significant increase in screening, testing, contact tracing and medical management.
  6. Emergency water supplies will be provided to informal settlements and rural areas.
  7. South African citizens and residents arriving from high-risk countries will automatically be placed under quarantine for 14 days.
  8. Non-South Africans arriving on flights from high-risk countries we prohibited a week ago will be turned back.
  9. International flights to Lanseria Airport will be temporarily suspended.
  10. International travellers who arrived in South Africa after 9 March 2020 from high-risk countries will be confined to their hotels until they have completed a 14-day period of quarantine.
  11. Any employee who falls ill through exposure at their workplace will be paid through the Compensation Fund.
  12. A tax subsidy of up to R500 per month will kick in for the next four months for private sector employees earning below R6 500.
  13. Anyone breaking the rules could be punished with imprisonment for up to one month or with a fine.

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