5 Tips to Rediscover Durban Safely under Level 3
Durban is well geared to provide a safe and memorable tourism experience for locals and visitors under Adjusted Level 3 restrictions.
There are numerous appealing tourism and leisure options in and around the City, most of which allow you to minimise exposure to the 3 Cs – closed spaces, crowds and close contact.
following tips to ensure you get the most of your Durban holiday experience:
Be an explorer and venture out to Durban’s many outdoor destinations. Sample the city’s fresh air, wide open spaces, great weather and stunning nature and wildlife areas – from Phezulu Safari Park and Giba Gorge Mountain Park in the West to Sugar Rush Park on the North Coast.
For a rich tapestry of creations from the city’s talented creatives and makers, be sure to visit Durban’s wide variety of museums and art galleries. Here, you can acquire the stunning handiwork of some of Durban’s talented emerging or established local artists.
Durban has an array of mouth-watering cuisine that sets its apart from any other city in South Africa. Wherever you are – North Coast, South Coast, Central or West of the City, there are restaurants with the space and comfort you need to enjoy a meal with peace of mind at this time.
Tourism establishments have implemented strict health and safety measures aligned with guidelines from the Department of Health, the National Institute for Communicable Disease (NICD), the Tourism Business Council of South Africa (TBCSA), World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) and World Health Organization (WHO), as well as health and safety regulations.
These include round-the-clock cleaning, reconfiguring facilities to comply with social distancing requirements, temperature checks, complimentary hand washing and sanitising at strategic high-touch points. Also available are contactless payment methods, helpful signage and health screening procedures for patrons, employees, suppliers and more.
So, if you’re still keen for some safe and enjoyable days out this holiday, then observe all Covid-19 Advanced Level 3 protocols – don your masks (no masks, no entry!), sanitise, social distance and respect the curfew.
For more information, visit: https://visitdurban.travel/ and find Durban Tourism as @DBNTourism on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.
ENDS
Issued by the eThekwini Municipality’s Communications Unit. For media enquiries contact the Municipality’s Spokesperson, Msawakhe Mayisela on 060 966 4220.
About Durban Tourism
Durban Tourism is a department with the Business Support, Tourism and Markets Unit of eThekwini Municipality. Its role is to promote and position the coastal city of Durban as a premium and world-class tourism destination for domestic and international tourism markets, whilst facilitating economic development and job creation for the benefit of all the people of the Metropolitan region.
For more information, visit: https://visitdurban.travel/ and find Durban Tourism as @DBNTourism on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube
The tourism sector has welcomed the announcement by President Cyril Ramaphosa on 1 February 2021 that a decline in the number of new Covid-19 cases meant that the country’s lockdown restrictions could be eased under Adjusted Lockdown Level 3.
In his address, President Ramaphosa said, “We are acutely aware that these restrictions have negatively affected businesses and threatened jobs in the hospitality, tourism and related industries. That is why we are determined that such restrictions should not continue any longer than is absolutely necessary to contain the pandemic and minimise the loss of life.”
The President said Government would continue to work with business and labour in these sectors to revive businesses and restore jobs both in the immediate and longer term.
The updated restrictions are:
- It remains compulsory for every person to wear a mask in a public space.
- The hours of the curfew will now be from 11pm to 4am. Establishments will need to close by 10pm to allow their customers and staff to return home by curfew.
- All beaches, dams, lakes and rivers, inclusive of all recreational facilities at these places are open to the public, provided that all health protocols and social distancing measures are adhered to;
- All public swimming pools. including recreational facilities at such places, are open to the public subject to limitation of 50 people indoors and 100 people outdoors.
- Restrictions on the sale of alcohol will be eased. The sale of alcohol by licensed premises for off-site consumption will be permitted from Mondays to Thursdays, from 10am to 6pm. Duty-free shops, registered wineries, wine farms, micro-breweries and micro-distilleries will be able to sell alcohol for off-site consumption during their normal licensed operating hours. The sale of alcohol by licensed premises for on-site consumption — such as restaurants and taverns — will be permitted throughout the week from 10am to 10pm.
- The closing time for the following establishments, whether indoors or outdoors, is 22h00: cinemas; theatres; casinos; museums, galleries and archives; public swimming pools; beaches and public parks; game parks, botanical gardens and zoos; gyms and fitness centres; restaurants; venues hosting auctions and venues hosting professional sport.
- All social gatherings are prohibited.
- Night clubs remain closed to the public.
President Ramaphosa urged South Africans to avoid being in crowded places or spending time in closed, unventilated spaces, and to keep a safe distance of 1.5 metres from other people at all times.