On 23 March 2020, the President of South Africa announced a nationwide lock-down. According to the order, individuals will not be allowed to leave their homes except under strict circumstances, such as to seek medical care, buy food and other essential supplies, or collect a social grant. Additionally, all businesses must be closed, except for pharmacies, laboratories, banks, essential financial and payment services, including the JSE, supermarkets, petrol stations, health care providers and companies that are essential to the production and transportation of food, basic goods, and medical supplies (See here).
The head of an institution must determine essential services to be performed and must determine the essential staff who will perform those services (See Here). If a person rendering essential services is unable to travel to and from his/her place of employment, the employer must make the necessary transport arrangements: Provided that no more than 50% of the licensed capacity of the vehicle or vessel is exceeded and all directions in respect of hygienic conditions and the limitation of exposure to persons with COVID-19 are adhered to (See Here).
Employers and businesses should continue to check with relevant authorities for the latest information:
– National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) COVID-19 page (See Here)
– Department of Home Affairs (See Here)