Lockdown Level 3: Here’s what’s allowed
A briefing by the National Coronavirus Command Council (NCCC) where details on the sale of liquor were expected, scheduled for Tuesday afternoon, was postponed to Wednesday.
Here is what we know about liquor sales under Level 3 thus far:
Your surname will likely not be used to determine on which day you can buy liquor
Liquor Traders Association of South Africa (LTASA) spokesperson Sean Robinson said an earlier suggestion the association had made to use surnames to determine when people would be allowed to buy liquor would likely not be used.
The LTASA previously suggested people with surnames from A to M would be allowed to buy liquor on Mondays and Wednesday, and those with N to Z surnames on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
“This proposal has, however, been rejected during discussion as it would be impossible to police,” Robinson told News24. “How are you going to control who shops when?”
Discussions are underway to have entire day liquor sales, Monday to Thursday
Wine producer association, Vinpro, spokesperson Wanda Augustyn told News24 discussions were underway with the Department of Trade and Industry to permit liquor sales from Monday to Thursday, from 09:00 until 17:00.
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The government previously proposed it would be permitted between 09:00 and 12:00 on Mondays to Wednesdays to avoid excessive alcohol consumption, particularly over weekends.
Augustyn said the industry had been lobbying for extended hours in meetings with the department on Tuesday morning, as it would avoid congestion at liquor outlets when sales resume.
She, however, added no decisions about times for liquor sales were made at this meeting.
Robinson said during discussions with the department it was agreed limited liquor sales hours would cause a rush to stores which would make social distancing difficult to prevent the spread of Covid-19.
Limited numbers of people will be allowed at liquor stores
He added customers would likely be limited to liquor outlets, with the number of customers allowed calculated according to an outlet’s floor size.
Robinson said all the typical safety protocol introduced at other retail stores – such as distance in queues, wearing masks, and hand sanitiser – would also apply to liquor stores.
He added liquor stores knew how to deal with high-demand days, such as Black Friday and New Year’s Eve, and would implement similar measures.
Augustyn said wineries across the country were also working on systems where people would be able to order online, and simply collect their order when ready.
She added liquor stores were already at work preparing to open on 1 June while adhering to lockdown level 4 restrictions, and she expected most to be fully stocked and able to apply safety measures to reopen by that time.
Shebeens and taverns will likely only open at a later stage
Despite repeated calls for shebeens and taverns in townships to be allowed to sell liquor for home consumption, Robinson said discussions with the department indicated this would likely only happen at a later stage.
He added if shebeens and taverns were opened, it would spread the demand and there would be less congestion at stores.
“This will naturally help to ensure that numbers are more manageable at outlets.”
