President Cyril Ramaphosa removed the requirement for mandatory wearing of face masks in public places and allowed stadia to open for professional sporting events at 50 percent capacity as part of measures to relax COVID-19 regulations.
In a televised address to the nation on Tuesday night, Ramaphosa announced that masks were no longer necessary in public places but would still be required inside public transport, offices and at shopping malls.
“This means that we still need to wear masks when in shops, malls, offices, factories, taxes, buses, trains or any other indoor public space,” Ramaphosa said.
He added: “But we do not need to wear masks when walking on the street or in an open space, when exercising outdoors or when attending an outdoor gathering.”
Ramaphosa said stadia would be opened for professional sports events at 50 percent capacity in the coming days.
Other restrictions relaxed included an increase in the number of people allowed at both indoor and outdoor events so that the venues can take up to 50 percent of their capacity, up to a maximum of 1,000 people indoors and 2,000 outdoors.
The maximum number of people permitted at funerals was increased from 100 to 200 although the ban on night vigils, after-funeral gatherings and ‘after-tears’ gatherings would remain in force.
Ramaphosa said the government intends to lift the National State of Disaster as soon as public comment on the health regulations replacing it has been completed.
JN/APA