Photo: Pixabay
Photo: Pixabay
Well, we had a good run: Political and scientific experts have raised the alarm over a second wave of COVID-19 hitting South Africa, potentially during the festive season. A steady increase in cases during Level 1 of lockdown – compounded by complacency and pandemic fatigue – has the potential to send South Africa back through the alert phases.
Will South Africa enter another hard lockdown?
It took six months for South Africa to move from its hardest stage of lockdown and into the lowest alert level. In that time, we’ve had two alcohol bans, a five-month ban on smoking, and borders closed – both regional and international.
But these talking points are all freshly seared into our memories. There were some other truly bizarre regulations that were scoffed at during the earlier stages of ‘hard lockdown’. Should SA need dramatic intervention, expect these laws to return.
Hard lockdown – seven of the most infuriating rules you may have forgotten about:
Pre-approved clothing lists
We’re starting with an absolute cracker. But for roughly two months in South Africa, people were barred from buying certain clothes. Bedding and winter jackets only went on sale in May. You can see the list of all pre-approved clothing items here.
Caps, swimming trunks, and t-shirts remained banned until Level 3, stating off the shelves for two months. Restrictions were eventually lifted at the beginning of June, and arguably, this was one of the most controversial moments of our COVID-19 response
Stop walking that dog!
There are very specific and limited reasons South Africans can leave their homes during Level 5 lockdown. It turns out that walking the dog is not one of them. It was deemed ‘unessential’, despite many canines needing their daily walks for health reasons. Bheki Cele famously told the public to walk their dogs ‘around the house’. He was barking up the wrong tree…
The three-hour exercise window
Absolutely fair play to anyone who managed to take advantage of this. At Level 4 of lockdown, people were allowed ‘free time’ to exercise outside, between the hours of 6:00 – 9:00. Anyone who had the energy to power-walk down Sea Point Promenade before sunrise deserved their exercise window, put it that way.
Cooked food ban for a hard lockdown
It’s still hard to believe this is real. But, inexplicably, it is. Cooked food items were removed from supermarket shelves during the early days of our pandemic response, only returning when Level 3 restrictions came into place. Trade Minister Ebrahim Patel got it in the neck for the contentious regulation, which he claimed would ‘stop people congregating’ in stores.
No open-toed shoes allowed
Yes. Because coronavirus starts in your toes and works its way up, apparently. This was another eyebrow-raiser that came into force during April, as the government took the bold decision to mandate what footwear we could purchase.
The five-kilometre rule
Another Level 4 classic: As personal freedoms were eased slightly, that infamous ‘exercise window’ came with a caveat. People could only travel within five kilometres of their own home. It was bad news for joggers, we’ll say that much.
Sorry, why can’t we buy that? Hard lockdown, hard to understand
Stationery, winter clothing, heaters and bedding, manicure and pedicure products, haircare items, and even certain types of fabrics were taken off the shelves between March and May. Should the hardest form of lockdown return, everything from sharpeners to shampoo will be yanked from sale. Ke Dezemba, this ain’t…
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