Alan Winde Approves Relaxed Restrictions, Hospitality and Tourism Sector Grateful for Removal of Curfew
- Alan Winde, the Premier of the Western Cape, expressed his approval after the curfew was lifted by the Presidency
- Winde also reminded people to celebrate New Year's Eve responsibly to avoid trauma-related hospitalisations
- The announcement about the curfew was met by excitement and happiness from the hospitality and tourism sectors
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CAPE TOWN - Alan Winde, the Premier of the Western Cape, expressed his approval after the Presidency announced that the curfew has been lifted in time for New Year's Eve.
Winde also took the opportunity to remind people to celebrate the new year in a responsible manner and to still adhere to established Covid-19 prevention protocols, such as social distancing and wearing face masks.
Source: Getty Images
Hospitality and tourism sectors overjoyed by announcement
The announcement about the curfew was met by excitement and happiness from the hospitality and tourism sectors. According to EWN, businesses that form part of these sectors see the move as a show of support from the government that they are committing to recovering the economy.
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Alderman James Vos, the MMC for economic growth for the City of Cape Town, said that the extra hours of operation will provide small businesses with the opportunity to make a bigger profit, as many were previously struggling to pay staff and cover rent.
"This update means that these businesses will be able to take full advantage of the weeks left of this holiday season and beyond," Vos said.
Reactions to Alan Winde's statement
Winde tweeted his opinion towards the curfew being lifted. View his tweet here:
Briefly News saw many South Africans respond to his statement and rounded up a few of them here:
@corwynnpiers said:
"Thank you so very much Premier Winde. Make some noise."
@TheMissSteyn believes:
"Premier, we all want our pre-Covid lives back but why not wait until after NYE? There will be carnage on our roads tonight, people are going to be reckless & we will have lost the battle to get the “balance” right & keep our hospital beds empty. This doesn’t feel like victory."
@Maka_makx_ shared:
@Taitu_kasebele asked:
"So there has been curfew all along?"
@bongi1_n said:
New Year's Eve: Curfew lifted and new lockdown rules, how to celebrate legally
Speaking of curfew, earlier Briefly News reported that yesterday (30 December), the office of President Cyril Ramaphosa announced that the curfew has been lifted and new lockdown restrictions have been put in place.
In recent weeks, many different people and groups have urged Ramaphosa to lift the curfew before New Year's Eve as they do not believe that it is serving its intended purpose of curbing the spread of Covid-19.
Bheki Cele, the minister of police, made several public announcements stating that the curfew would be enforced on New Year's Eve to ensure public safety and obedience to Covid-19 protocols.
Source: Briefly News
