The SABC Newz RSA: The alcohol industry is pleading with the government not to ban liquor sales #Covid19SA

Sunday, December 27, 2020

The alcohol industry is pleading with the government not to ban liquor sales #Covid19SA

Amid reports that President Cyril Ramaphosa is set to impose additional lockdown restrictions on South Africans, the alcohol industry is pleading with the government not to ban liquor sales.

Several sources on Sunday (27 December) said that the president would be meeting with cabinet ministers as part of the National Coronavirus Command Council (NCCC) to discuss what can be done to fight against the second wave of Covid-19 that is surging in many parts of the country.

The Sunday Times reported that further restrictions on gatherings and possibly tighter controls on alcohol sales may be on the cards, while Maroela Media reported that an announcement on what measures will be taken could be coming within days.

Concerns are mounting after record daily increases in infections this past week – much higher than during the first wave peak in July – as well as reports from hospitals that they are reaching capacity.

As of 26 December, South Africa has reported a total of 994,911 Covid-19 cases, falling just short of the 1 million mark. There were 11,552 new daily cases reported, after two record increases of over 14,000 cases on Thursday and Friday this week.

There were also 256 new deaths, taking the total to 26,521, while recoveries are now at 839,194, leaving the country with a balance of 129,196 active cases.

Don’t ban booze

While there has been no confirmation of what direction the NCCC will go, the alcohol industry is pre-emptively pleading with government to steer clear of an alcohol ban, and to rather engage with stakeholders in the sector to find a better solution.

The Liquor Traders Formation and the South African Breweries (SAB) both called for a ban on alcohol to be nixed.

The SAB said that it fully supports the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic in South Africa, and shares government’s concerns regarding the second wave resurgence, but it stressed that the alcohol industry in the country cannot bear another alcohol ban.

“SAB does not believe that an outright ban / total shut down of alcohol sales is a sustainable approach, as seen with the last two bans. The unintended consequences of such actions are dire, from job losses, tax losses, illicit trading and looting of alcohol stores,” it said.

“We support measures that include an earlier curfew, reduced indoor and outdoor gathering number, and alcohol restrictions if any – should still provide for safe and controlled on-premise activity and off-premises sales to enable safe consumption at home.

The Liquor Traders Formation, meanwhile, said that government should talk with the industry before making any major decisions that could impact the economy.

“We understand the situation that the country finds itself in, and are alive to the fact that the president and his government have tough decisions to make in the coming days and as citizens of the country we will support government initiatives to tackle Covid-19,” it said.

“It is however our belief that any decision that affects our industry should be discussed with us beforehand and our inputs considered before any decision is communicated to the general public.”

Higher lockdown level recommended

The South African Medical Association (SAMA) said that tighter lockdown restrictions won’t necessarily help the country fight the spread of Covid-19 if they are not enforced. However, the country should move to a higher level of lockdown, it said.

SAMA chairperson Dr Angelique Coetzee told ENCA that enforcement is a major issue, with South Africans at large not adhering to the current regulations, keeping up social distancing protocols, or wearing masks.

“We can bring in the strictest regulations – if it’s not being enforced, it won’t help. At the moment, what’s extremely important is to bring in enforcement regulations,” she said.

This is particularly important with gatherings, and any situation where people are together in enclosed spaces. If the capacity of any room is over 50%, that is extremely dangerous, and people should try and remove themselves from this situation, Dr Coetzee said.

Dr Coetzee said that lockdown level 2 would be the recommended level to place the country at to better deal with the Covid-19 resurgence, but again stressed that better enforcement and every South African taking their own health and safety into consideration would be the key to successfully fighting the virus.