It almost feels like a restart to a year that has tormented the world. On Monday, South Africa went down to Level 3 of its coronavirus-influenced lockdown and for boomers, this was the day to get their hands on alcohol for the first time in two months.
Level 3 lockdown is in full effect
The National Command Council (NCC) led by President Cyril Ramaphosa has cautiously launched the process of reopening the economy in the face of spikes in Covid-19 cases.
On Sunday, the National Institute of Communicable Diseases (NICD) published the latest Covid-19 statistics for South Africa and they make for a worrying read:
The move to Level 3 is a catch 22 that holds an equilibrium of pros and cons. On one hand, Level 3 introduces a return for most industries, which is positive for our flailing economy. On the other hand, the risks associated with millions of people back in transit is uncalculable.
Alas, this, in Ramaphosa’s words, is a necessary risk that must be taken if we have any chance of salvaging our economy. After all, Covid-19 is a virus that plans to be around for a very long time and the steadily rising curve proves that the lockdown can not stop its spread.
South Africans queue up outside liquor stores
One of the key changes that come with Level 3 is the reintroduction of liquor sales. This marks the end of a collective cold turkey that has dragged on for just over two months.
It’s no surprise that thousands of South Africans have slept outside liquor stores in the wee hours of Monday morning, waiting with great anticipation for the opportunity to pick up a can of cold beer or bottle of spirits.
We’ve done the rounds on social media in search of video clips of the long queues outside liquor stores and this is what we were able to collect: