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Despite that image that did the rounds last week, South Africa’s alert level 4 does not allow for the sale of alcohol.

I don’t know who benefits from spreading this nonsense, but think twice before blindly sharing these on WhatsApp, because you’re not helping.

Following President Ramaphosa’s address last week, many of the basics of what alert level 4 means were laid out.

(By the way, our president’s mask blunder was actually a pretty decent attempt at following medical advice on how to put on one…)

Over the weekend, government officials then released this below, showing “Permissions & Restrictions” for alert level 4:

There has been no further confirmation on what “limited exercise” means, although it appears that people will be allowed to exercise outdoors under strict conditions.

Small victories.

Alright, so when can you buy some dops again, without having to barter with neighbours or organise a covert drone drop?

For the basics, we go to News24:

According to the proposed plan, if the lockdown is eased to Level 3, the sale of alcohol will be permitted at retail outlets at limited hours, but no consumption on-premises – drinking in restaurants, pubs and clubs – will be allowed.

So, if you want to (legally) buy liquor again, the lockdown will have to reach Level 3.

Grand – how do we reach alert level 3? During Saturday’s briefing by Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma (which probably should have been done away with, and a simple document sent out), our government considers the following factors when setting the alert level:

• Rate at which the proportion of the population tested is increasing (higher is better).
• Rate at which the proportion of positive tests is increasing (lower is better).
• Rate of increase in fixed and makeshift hospital beds in both public and private sectors per 1 000 population (higher is better).
• Rate at which the proportion of hospital beds being utilised for Covid-19 is increasing (lower is better).

If those factors above show movements towards the “better” outcome, our alert levels may then change accordingly.

An important caveat, though. Even if the lockdown alert level changes, there is no guarantee that alcohol sales will automatically be resumed, as “the lists of goods and services that will be allowed at each stage are still proposals and thus subject to change after consultations with various role players”.

Given that cigarette sales will be allowed on alert level 4, and thus from Friday (May 1), barterers will need to get a little more creative if they want to trade with their neighbours for booze.

If you’re struggling to make it through the lockdown, and are tired of rationing, consider how hard hit some of the industry’s biggest players have been.

Below from Business Day:

Distell, which competes with Pernod Ricard SA and Diageo, exports about R3bn worth of wine, spirits and cider products a year. It’s losing out on R8.2m each day the ban remains in place. The nation has foregone as much as R200m a week in wine-export earnings during the lockdown, according to industry estimates…

Among the unforeseen consequences of the ban are that the government is getting less tax revenue at a time when it needs funding to revive an economy hobbled by the lockdown. Almost 60% of the cash Distell makes is paid in a combination of excise and corporate tax to local governments.

Grape and apple farmers are also struggling — Distell buys more than a third of SA’s grapes for wine, brandy and ready-to-drink beverages and half the country’s apple juice concentrate, used for cider. And there’s been an increase in the trade in illicit alcohol — an illegal industry that is likely to be maintained long after the lockdown is over, according to Distell.

On the flip side, many crime stats have seen a huge drop during the lockdown (this is to be expected, of course), and healthcare workers involved in treating trauma cases, often linked to the consumption of alcohol, have dropped significantly.

Charles Parry, a researcher at the SA Medical Research Council, says they are seeing around 9 000 fewer trauma cases in hospital wards every week, which represents a roughly 25% drop.

Perhaps, in the days leading up to our drop to alert level 4 on Friday, more will be made clear about changes between levels.

At the very least, we should expect clarification on the “limited exercise” outdoors part of level 4. If we can’t buy alcohol, please let us don our activewear, and mask, and take a walk around the block.

[sources:news24&busday]