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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.
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Here are 13 key points you need to know during lockdown.
- 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.
- 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.
- Companies that are essential to the production and transportation of food, basic goods and medical supplies will remain open.
- The South African National Defence Force will be deployed to support the South African Police Service to ensure the lockdown is implemented.
- There will be a significant increase in screening, testing, contact tracing and medical management.
- Emergency water supplies will be provided to informal settlements and rural areas.
- South African citizens and residents arriving from high-risk countries will automatically be placed under quarantine for 14 days.
- Non-South Africans arriving on flights from high-risk countries we prohibited a week ago will be turned back.
- International flights to Lanseria Airport will be temporarily suspended.
- 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.
- Any employee who falls ill through exposure at their workplace will be paid through the Compensation Fund.
- 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.
- Anyone breaking the rules could be punished with imprisonment for up to one month or with a fine.