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The Restaurant Association of South Africa has vowed to challenge any stricter curfews implemented by the National Coronavirus Command Council.
This amid unconfirmed reports that the Council had decided to impose a 10 pm curfew in the country's Covid-19 hotspot areas and to restrict the sale of alcohol from Monday to Thursday in an attempt to combat rising Covid-19 infections.
This would mean that restaurants would only be allowed to operate until 9 pm.
RASA CEO, Wendy Albert said they would challenge any restriction imposed on the industry.
Meanwhile, Nelson Mandela Bay acting mayor, Thsonono Buyeye has called on President Cyril Ramaphosa to "act swiftly to control the alarming COVID-19 infections in the City after submissions were presented to him during a virtual meeting on Wednesday.
Addressing a media briefing afterward he also confirmed that the changes to the curfew times and restricting liquor trading from Monday’s to Thursday’s were part of the recommendations from the Metro.
Othe recommendations included closing public open spaces for a two-week period as well as recommendations on initiation.
Buyeye said these had the backing of the Eastern Cape Government.
However, he stressed that Cabinet will make the final decision on these recommendations after which President Cyril Ramaphosa would make an announcement.
NMBM Disaster Management chairperson Shane Brown said there were 3500 active cases in the City currently with 103 new Covid-related deaths in the last seven days.
But, he said NMB quarantine sites remained “empty” because people under investigation do not want to be put in quarantine.
“In the Intensive Care Units, we have 109 patients, with 95 in private hospitals and the rest in the public hospitals. We have 714 people admitted in hospitals for COVID-19 with 314 in private hospitals,” Brown said.
Last week Health Minister, Dr. Zweli Mkhize concluded a two-day visit to Nelson Mandela Bay with a veiled warning that if numbers in the Eastern Cape and Western Cape were not brought under control, measures would need to be introduced.
Western Cape Premier Alan Winde had already said that his provincial government would propose a more localised Covid-19 intervention for the province at Wednesday’s meeting of the Presidential Coordinating Council.
