Easing of alert level 3 restrictions welcomed; UIF TERS still vital to save businesses
2 February 2021
We welcome the announcement by President Cyril Ramaphosa last night of the relaxation of the Alert Level 3 Restrictions, which will be a lifeline to many businesses in the Western Cape, especially those in the tourism, hospitality and liquor industries.
Last week we published tourism industry performance data that unsurprisingly reflects a sector that has been hammered by the Covid-19 pandemic and the related lockdown restrictions, and so the change in the curfew to 23:00 – 04:00, the opening of the beaches, parks, swimming pools and other public spaces, and the easing of the alcohol ban will certainly bring some relief to businesses in the Western Cape.
These relaxations are exactly what we have been calling for and the fact that national government has made these changes sooner than 15 February 2021 is a welcome reprieve for businesses in the Western Cape.
But the fact is that there are many businesses that are severely distressed and many jobs that remain at risk as the Covid-19 pandemic continues to impact the markets that these businesses are dependent on, especially as the intensity of the second wave both at home and abroad has resulted in stricter international travel restrictions and route cancellations by airlines.