Lockdown – what it means for Amanzimtoti residents
Do not travel for any reason other than medical, basic needs or food.
The nationwide lockdown will be enacted in terms of the Disaster Management Act. From midnight tonight (Thursday, 26 March) until midnight on Thursday, 16 April, all South Africans have to stay at home.
The only people who are exempt from this are health workers in the public and private sectors, emergency personnel, those in security services – police, traffic officers, military medical personnel and soldiers – and other persons necessary in response to the pandemic.
Included are those involved in the production, distribution and supply of food and basic goods, essential banking services, maintenance of power, water and telecommunications services, laboratory services, and the provision of medical and hygiene products.
Temporary shelters that meet the necessary hygiene standards will be identified for homeless people and sites are also being identified for quarantine and self-isolation for people who cannot self-isolate at home.
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All shops and businesses will be closed, except for pharmacies, laboratories, banks, essential financial and payment services, including the JSE, supermarkets, 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 Defense Force has been deployed to support SAPS to ensure measures are implemented.
Emergency water supplies, using storage tanks, tankers, boreholes and communal standpipes, will be provided to informal settlements and rural areas.
When are you allowed to leave your house:
* To buy food.
* To buy medical supplies.
* Collect a social grant.
* Seek medical care.
* Access banks.
* Buy petrol.
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Lockdown recommendations
* Do not travel for any reason other than medical, basic needs or food. You could face one month in jail and/or a fine if you leave home for any other personal reason. Keep your grocery receipts, doctor’s notes and pharmacy receipts with you as proof of your reason for travel.
* Always keep your ID and driver’s license with you when you travel.
* The government has the right to test you, detain you until the test are completed (which takes up to seven days) and place you under quarantine, so ensure someone always knows where you are going and when you will be back. If you are detained or quarantined, keep someone apprised of the situation.
* Do not take any detours – go straight to your destination and back home.
* If you get stopped at a roadblock, stay calm, be clear and humble. Do not get aggressive or impatient.
* If you have to travel for work, you will get a letter certifying this to be the case. Make sure your manager knows you are travelling for work, has authorised the trip and to expect a call from the police or army. Keep this letter at hand on any work travel.
* This lockdown is not about you, so don’t be selfish, stick to the rules and keep everyone safe and healthy. The government has warned of more stringent methods to control the outbreak, so stick to the rules and let’s get through this without further escalation of the situation.
* House to house testing will be performed and you cannot refuse to be tested or quarantined.
* Keep doing your job (this is not a paid vacation). Keep your head down, be safe and keep healthy.
* Notice: Coronavirus reporting at Caxton Local Media aims to combat fake news
Dear reader,
As your local news provider, we have the duty of keeping you factually informed on Covid-19 developments. As you may have noticed, mis- and disinformation (also known as “fake news”) is circulating online. Caxton Local Media is determined to filter through the masses of information doing the rounds and to separate truth from untruth in order to keep you adequately informed. Local newsrooms follow a strict pre-publication fact-checking protocol. A national task team has been established to assist in bringing you credible news reports on Covid-19.
Readers with any comments or queries may contact National Group Editor Irma Green (irma@caxton.co.za) or Legal Adviser Helene Eloff (helene@caxton.co.za).
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