The curfew is between 10pm and 4am. Non-essential establishments need to close by 9pm, to allow their staff to travel home. Gatherings will be allowed – limited to 50 people indoors and 100 outdoors – or 50% of a venue’s capacity. The sale of alcohol will resume but within limits. The president also reinstated the Social Relief of Distress Grant, to provide a monthly payment of R350 until the end of March next year.

Meanwhile, the South African Medical Research Council says it will work with other health- and research authorities to investigate the 28 deaths that have been reported after patients received their covid-19 vaccination. The Authority says it needs to determine if the deaths are indeed related to the vaccine or something else. CEO, Professor Glenda Gray says causality in these cases, has not yet been determined.