POLL | Are you here for level 2 or nah?

South Africans are anticipating the reopening of gyms and beaches, and the sale of alcohol and cigarettes under level 2 of lockdown, which will start on Tuesday.

Alcohol will be on sale Mondays to Thursdays, from 9am to 5pm. 

“Restaurants, bars and taverns will be permitted to operate according to approved protocols as to times of operation and numbers of people. The suspension of the sale of alcohol will be lifted, subject to certain restrictions,” said the president.

Travelling for leisure between provinces is also allowed, but hotels and other accommodation are to limit the number of visitors for safety purposes. Sporting events are allowed without spectators, as restrictions on large public gatherings continue.

Among restrictions which will remain under level 2 are international travel and the mandatory wearing of face masks to prevent the spread and transmission of Covid-19.

In his weekly newsletter from Monday, Ramaphosa said the move to level 2 of lockdown indicated the progress made in reducing the transmission of Covid-19. He said the eased lockdown would also boost the country's ailing economy.

He warned South Africans, however, that it was still too soon to celebrate and citizens needed to remain vigilant.

“We now need to manage this risk and ensure the gains we have made thus far in containing the pandemic's spread are not reversed.

“The greatest threat to the health of the nation right now is complacency. It may be that we are now permitted to meet friends and family, to visit entertainment venues, to travel for leisure and to consume alcohol in restaurants, bars and taverns. But as the adage goes, just because you can, doesn't mean you should,” he wrote.