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The alert levels have been a source of mass confusion over the past few months.

The original guidelines issued by the State have a tendency to change as the National Coronavirus Command Council (NCCC) meets and makes decisions, which some have argued are unconstitutional.

As such, the government has found itself in court over the past two weeks defending decisions ranging from the tobacco sales ban to the ban on certain business sectors like hairdressing and restaurants.

Enter ‘advanced alert level 3’, the proposed solution to some of these issues.

Per BusinessTech:

A number of businesses would be able to reopen under an ‘advanced’ level 3 lockdown, including sit-down restaurants – with a decision on the move expected on Wednesday, 17 June.

If the decision is made and promulgated, a number of businesses formerly excluded from alert level 3 regulations will be able to resume business under strict conditions.

The decision came about due to a lack of sufficient relief funds to support small businesses in the food and hospitality sector.

South African restaurant closures are beginning to pile up, according to several restaurant bodies.

The Restaurant Association of South Africa (Rasa) estimates that restaurants employ around 800,000 people in South Africa, while a new lobby group – the Restaurant Collective – says that the industry is ready, and desperate to open.

Under advanced alert level 3, the following businesses will be able to open their doors:

• Sit down restaurants, informal restaurants at taxi ranks and office parks, and street food vendors (with extreme safety measures in place that include constant sanitation, physical distancing and staff COVID-19 checks mandatory for all businesses).
• Hairdressers, also subject to strict sanitation and physical distancing protocols.
• Tattoo Studios, subject to strict sanitation and physical distancing protocols.
• Nail parlours, make-up technicians and body massage services, subject to strict sanitation and physical distancing protocols.

Tattoo studios, hairdressers, nail parlours, make-up technicians, and body massage services are likely to only operate via appointment, with limited appointments every day to ensure physical distancing. Walk-ins will be turned away.

Advanced alert level 3 is a kind of level within a level. Here’s how it will differ from what we were expecting should we move to alert level 2, according to the South African:

Image: The South African

We can expect a decision later today, so sit tight.

If all goes to plan, get ready to say goodbye to lockdown hair…

[sources:businesstech&thesouthafrican]