The nationwide transition from lockdown Level 4 to Level 3 on June 1 would facilitate the return-to-work of almost eight-million more South Africans than had hitherto been allowed to do so, Trade, Industry and Competition Minister Ebrahim Patel said on Thursday. He cautioned, however, that the move would require individual businesses and workers to bear a larger share of the responsibility for limiting the spread of Covid-19. The transition represented a “big shift” from previous lockdown levels, which were designed to ensure that most economically active citizens remained at home. Under Level 3, most industries, from sawmilling and construction to manufacturing to retail, would be allowed to resume, with only a handful of activities, such as hair styling and contact sport, still deemed too risky, owing to the difficulty of enforcing physical distancing.
