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Department of Sports, Art and Culture: Directions to prevent and combat the spread of COVID-19

Government Notice 461 of 2020

as from 5 January 2021 onwards

This is the latest version of this Government Notice.
South Africa
Disaster Management Act, 2002

Department of Sports, Art and Culture: Directions to prevent and combat the spread of COVID-19

Government Notice 461 of 2020

  • Published in Government Gazette no. 43226 on 9 April 2020
  • Assented to on 8 April 2020
  • Commenced on 9 April 2020
  • [This is the version of this document as it was from 5 January 2021 to 10 June 2021.]
  1. [Amended by Department of Sports, Art and Culture: Directions to prevent and combat the spread of COVID-19: Amendment (Government Notice 669 of 2020) on 11 June 2020]
  2. [Amended by Resumption of Contact and Non-contact Sport and the Opening of Places and Premises for Arts and Culture Activities (Government Notice 751 of 2020) on 6 July 2020]
  3. [Amended by Resumption of Professional Contact and Non-contact Sport Matches (Government Notice 852 of 2020) on 6 August 2020]
  4. [Amended by Resumption of Sporting Activities, Arts and Culture (Government Notice 943 of 2020) on 28 August 2020]
  5. [Amended by Gatherings Relating to Sport, Arts and Culture Activities (Government Notice 1062 of 2020) on 7 October 2020]
  6. [Amended by Gatherings Relating to Sport, Arts and Culture Activities (Government Notice 1 of 2021) on 5 January 2021]
I, Emmanuel Nkosinathi Mthethwa, Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture in terms of regulation 10(8) of the Regulations issued in terms of section 27(2) of the Disaster Management Act, 2002 (Act No. 57 of 2002) and published in Government Gazette No. 43107, Government Notice No.R318 of 18 March 2020, hereby issue the Directions in the Schedule.Mr E.N. Mthethwa, MPMinister of Sport, Arts and Culture

1. Definitions

In these Directions, a word or expression bears the meaning assigned to it in the Regulations promulgated in Government Gazette No. 43107, Government Notice No. R318 of 18 March 2020 and in the Regulations promulgated in Government Gazette No. 43148, Government Notice No. 398 of 25 March 2020, in terms of section 27(2) of the Disaster Management Act, 2002 and unless the context otherwise indicates—[definition of "affected public entity" deleted by section 2(a) of Government Notice 751 of 2020]"national state of disaster" means the national state of disaster declared by Government Notice No. R. 313 published in Government Gazette No. 40396 of 15 March 2020;“applicant” means a national federation as defined in section 1 of the National Sport and Recreation Act, 1998 (Act No. 110 of 1998);[definition of "applicant" inserted by section 2(b) of Government Notice 751 of 2020]"concert" means a live or physical performance of music by one or more musicians or singers;[definition of "concert" inserted by section 2(a) of Government Notice 943 of 2020][definition of "contact sport" inserted by section 2(b) of Government Notice 751 of 2020 and deleted by section 2(b) of
Government Notice 943 of 2020][definition of "entertainment event" inserted by section 2(a) of Government Notice 943 of 2020 and deleted by section 2(a) of Government Notice 1062 of 2020]“international sport event” means individual or team participation in an invitation, tour, league, training or championship outside the borders of the Republic in preparation for any minor, major or mega international sport event;[definition of “international sport event” inserted by section 2(a) of Government Notice 852 of 2020]“library” means a national, provincial, and public or community library in the Republic of South Africa;[definition of "library" inserted by section 2(b) of Government Notice 751 of 2020]“library material” means collections of information material housed in a library including books, periodicals and toys; etc;[definition of "library material" inserted by section 2(b) of Government Notice 751 of 2020]“LIS” means Library and Information Service;[definition of "LIS" inserted by section 2(b) of Government Notice 751 of 2020][definition of "non-contact sport" inserted by section 2(b) of Government Notice 751 of 2020 and deleted by section 2(b) of Government Notice 943 of 2020]“places or premises” means libraries, galleries, theatres, museums, cinemas, fitness centres and gyms, sports grounds and fields, swimming pools, beaches, public parks and archives;[definition of "places or premises" inserted by section 2(b) of Government Notice 751 of 2020 and substituted by section 2(c) of Government Notice 943 of 2020 and by section 2(b) of Government Notice 1062 of 2020]“official” means sporting venue manager, sporting venue employee, match official journalist, television crew, radio commentator and security personnel;[definition of "official" inserted by section 2(a) of Government Notice 669 of 2020]“professional athlete” means an athlete who earns a living by competing in a sport, or receive payment for performance at international championships or related events including preparation for Olympic, a member of a training squad for a relevant sporting body;[definition of "professional athlete" inserted by section 2(a) of Government Notice 669 of 2020]“professional non-contact sport” means a sport whereby athletes or players are physically separated and under normal circumstances would not come into contact with one another during the course of an event or game;[definition of "professional non-contact sport" inserted by section 2(a) of Government Notice 669 of 2020]"recreation" means a physical activity of leisure undertaken for the purpose of a healthy lifestyle, outside of structured competitive sport;[definition of "recreation" inserted by section 2(d) of Government Notice 943 of 2020]"sporting activities" means sporting events that include administration, training, professional and non-professional matches organised and authorised by a sport body recognised as provided for in the Recognition of Sport and Recreational Bodies Regulations made in terms of section 14(a) and 14(jE) of the National Sport and Recreation Act, 1998 (Act No. 110 of 1998) and published in Government Gazette No. 34509, Government Notice No. R.641 of 8 August 2011;[definition of "sporting activities" inserted by section 2(d) of Government Notice 943 of 2020]“sports body” means any national federation, agency, club or body, including a trust, professional league, or registered company of such a national federation, agency, club or body, involved in the administration of sport or recreation at local, provincial or national level;[definition of "sports body" inserted by section 2(a) of Government Notice 669 of 2020]“sporting venue” means a stadium, sports ground, field, swimming pool, the sea, dam, river and any other venue whether open air, enclosed or semi enclosed where a match, a competition or training may take place;[definition of "sporting venue" inserted by section 2(a) of Government Notice 669 of 2020 and replaced by section 2(b) of Government Notice 751 of 2020]“support staff” “means a technical official, coach, assistant coach, kit manager, physiotherapist, medical officer, driver, and physical trainer;[definition of "support staff" inserted by section 2(a) of Government Notice 669 of 2020]“the Regulations” means the Regulations published in Government Gazette No. 43258, Government Notice No. R.480. of 29 April 2020 as amended by Government Notice No. R.608 of 28 May 2020, Government Notice No. R.714 of 25 June 2020, Government Notice No. R.763 of 12 July 2020, Government Notice No. R.846 of 31 July 2020, Government Notice No. R. 891 of 17 August 2020, Government Notice No. R.999 of 18 September 2020, Government Notice No. R.1011 of 20 September 2020, Government Notice No. R. 1053 of 1 October 2020 and Government Notices No. R 1421 of 24 December 2020, R. 1423 and R. 1435 of 29 December 2020[definition of "the Regulations" substituted by section 2(b) of Government Notice 669 of 2020, by section 2(c) of Government Notice 751 of 2020, by section 2(b) of Government Notice 852 of 2020, by section 2(e) of Government Notice 943 of 2020, by section 2(c) of Government Notice 1062 of 2020 and by section 2 of Government Notice 1 of 2021]

2. Purpose

The purpose of these Directions is to—
(a)prescribe temporary measures or steps currently necessary to manage COVID-19 in order to reduce its impact in the Republic, by preventing the importation of, and minimising the local transmission of, COVID-19; and
(b)[subparagraph (b) deleted by section 3(a) of Government Notice 751 of 2020]
(c)[subparagraph (b) deleted by section 3(a) of Government Notice 751 of 2020]
(d)Sporting activities, including professional matches, by recognised sporting bodies are allowed subject to strict adherence to the times of operation provided for in regulation 33(3) (h) on condition that-
(i)only journalists, radio, television crew security personnel, emergency medical services, and the necessary employees employed by the owners of the venue of the sport match are allowed at the venue of the sport match;
(ii)only the required number of players, match officials, support staff and medical crew required for the sport match are allowed at the venue of the sport match; and
(iii)no spectators are allowed at the venue of the sport match.
[subparagraph (d) substituted by section 3(a) of Government Notice 669 of 2020, by section 3(b) of Government Notice 751 of 2020, by section 3 of Government Notice 852 of 2020, by section 3 of Government Notice 943 of 2020, by section 3 of Government Notice 1062 of 2020 and by section 3 of Government Notice 1 of 2021]
(e)allow professional non-contact sports matches to take place in a stadium without spectators.[subparagraph (e) added by section 3(b) of Government Notice 669 of 2020]

3. Scope and application

These Directions apply to all sporting, recreational, arts and cultural activities.[paragraph 3 substituted by section 4 of Government Notice 669 of 2020, by section 4 of Government Notice 751 of 2020], by section 4 of Government Notice 943 of 2020 and by section 4 of Government Notice 1062 of 2020]

4. Authorisation

These Directions are issued in terms of regulation 10(8) of the Regulations.

5. ***

[paragraph 5 deleted by section 5 of Government Notice 751 of 2020]

6. Resumption of sport, arts and cultural activities

International sport, arts and culture events involving countries with a low or medium COVID -19 infection and transmission rate are allowed.[paragraph 6 substituted by section 5 of Government Notice 669 of 2020, by section 6 of Government Notice 751 of 2020, by section 4 of Government Notice 852 of 2020, by section 5 of Government Notice 943 of 2020 and by section 5 of Government Notice 1062 of 2020]

6A. Resumption of sporting activities

(1)Sporting activities may resume without any spectators and must comply with the health protocols: Provided that a match may only include players, match officials, journalists, emergency medical services, security personnel, radio and television crew, support staff, the necessary employees employed by the owners of the venue, medical and television crew.
(2)A sport body must keep a register, which must be archived for a period of not less than 6 months, with the following details of all athletes, support staff and officials:
(a)Full names;
(b)residential address;
(c)cell number, telephone number or email address; and
(d)contact details of a person or persons living in the same residence as the person attending training or matches.
(3)All sport bodies must comply with the Guidelines for quarantine and isolation in relation to COVID-19 exposure and infection issued by the Department of Health.
(4)A sports body must ensure that all athletes and support staff are tested for COVID-19 before the resumption of sporting activities.
(5)International sport, arts and culture events involving countries with a low or medium COVID-19 infection and transmission rate are allowed.
(6)International sport, arts and culture events involving countries with a high COVID-19 infection and transmission rate are not allowed.
(7)A sport body must, for the purposes of subparagraph (5) ensure—
(a)that every person in the travelling team provides a negative COVID-19 test result that has been obtained no more than 72 hours prior to the date of travel;
(b)that if a person in the travelling team is unable to produce a negative COVID-19 test result, that person is quarantined at his or her own cost;
(c)compliance with the provisions of the National Sport and Recreation Act, 1998 (Act No. 110 of 1998), the Bidding and Hosting of International Sporting and Recreational Events Regulations and the Safety at Sport and Recreational Events Act, 2010 (Act No. 2 of 2010); and
(d)compliance with all relevant legislation and municipal by-laws.
(8)An international sporting event must take place without spectators, in compliance with the provisions of paragraphs 6A, 6B, 6D, 6E and 6F.
(9)Transportation of athletes, players and support staff must comply with the transport Directions issued by the Minister of Transport.[paragraph 6A inserted by section 6 of Government Notice 669 of 2020 and substituted by section 7 of Government Notice 751 of 2020, by section 5 of Government Notice 852 of 2020, by section 6 of Government Notice 943 of 2020 and by section 6 of Government Notice 1062 of 2020]

6B. Screening and testing of players and support staff

(1)All officials including players, athletes, match officials, support staff, journalists and television crew including radio commentators must be subjected to temperature screening before they enter the venue or stadium.
(2)A person with an elevated temperature or possible COVID-19 symptoms may not be allowed to enter the sporting venue.
(3)An athlete or member of the support staff who tests positive for COVID-19 may not be allowed to train or participate in sporting activities until he or she tests negative.[paragraph 6B inserted by section 6 of Government Notice 669 of 2020 and substituted by section 7 of Government Notice 943 of 2020 and by section 7 of Government Notice 1062 of 2020]

6C. Disinfection and cleaning of sporting venue

(1)The sporting venue, dressing rooms and other facilities within the precinct of the sporting venue, must be disinfected before any matches.
(2)For the purposes of this paragraph, a hand sanitiser to be used must have at least 70% alcohol content, or be a generic alternative, and must meet the standard prescribed by the Department of Health.
(3)A person in charge of a sporting venue must ensure that -
(a)there are sufficient quantities of hand sanitiser, based on the number of persons who access the sporting venue, at the entrance of, and in, the sporting venue, to be used by persons accessing the venue; or
(b)there are facilities for the washing of hands with water and soap.
(4)A sports body must take measures to ensure that—
(a)all surfaces and equipment are cleaned before the resumption of sporting activities and in between activities; and
(b)all areas such as toilets, common areas, door handles, shared electronic equipment, are regularly cleaned.
(5)The sporting venue must be thoroughly cleaned and sanitised prior to commencement of sporting activities.[paragraph 6C inserted by section 6 of Government Notice 669 of 2020 and substituted by section 8 of Government Notice 943 of 2020 and by section 8 of Government Notice 1062 of 2020]

6D. Control measures

(1)Appropriate information material relating to COVID-19 must be displayed in a prominent place within the sporting venue.
(2)The number of personnel in the sporting venue, change room or training area at any given time, must be limited as far as is reasonably practicable.
(3)Face masks, or appropriate items that cover the nose and mouth as required by the health protocols, must be worn by all personnel entering the sporting venue except athletes when training or participating in matches.
(4)Only individual pre-packed meals with disposable drinking bottles are allowed in the sporting venue.
(5)No person may share a water bottle with another person.
(6)All doors must remain open, where feasible, to reduce contact and ensure adequate ventilation.
(7)A dedicated isolation area for use by any individual who exhibits symptoms of COVID-19 while in training or during a match, must be identified.
(8)A sport body must—
(a)assume full responsibility for the safety and security of its members, staff and athletes in curbing the spread of COVID -19; and
(b)ensure that all its members comply with the provisions of these Directions, Regulations and any other applicable legislation.
(9)A sport body and its affiliate members are jointly and severally responsible for any claim for damages or negligence arising as a result of failure to take reasonable measures in curbing the spread of COVID -19.
(10)The sports body must ensure that only the required players, match officials, support staff and medical personnel are allowed during a match.
(11)The support staff, medical personnel and substitute players must each wear a face mask or other appropriate item that covers the nose and mouth and adhere to social distancing measures, as set out in the Regulations.
(12)The deployment of officials must be as follows:
(a)Each media house may deploy one representative to cover a match;
(b)security deployment must be determined by an authorised member of the South African Police Service, appointed by the National Commissioner;
(c)a radio broadcaster may deploy only one commentator per radio station to cover a match;
(d)only the necessary number of television crew and technicians per match are allowed; and
(e)only the required number of employees employed by the venue owner are allowed.
(13)A sports body must comply with the provisions of the Safety at Sport and Recreational Events Act, 2010 (Act No. 2 of 2010).
(14)A sports body must put in place measures to ensure that no member of the public or spectators are allowed at a match venue or the precinct of a match venue.
(15)The measures referred to in subparagraph (14) must be clearly outlined in the safety and security plan to be presented at the Event Safety and Security Planning Committee, where an official from the Department must be in attendance.
(16)International sporting events involving countries with a low or medium COVID -19 infection and transmission rate are allowed.
(17)Only individuals who have an employment contract with a team outside the Republic may be permitted to leave the Republic in accordance with the Directions issued by the Minister of Home Affairs.
(18)Alcohol may not be consumed at sporting events including parks;[subparagraph (18) added by section 4 of Government Notice 1 of 2021]
(19)Sports bodies must adjust the commencement time of matches to comply with the cut off time of 20h00.[subparagraph (19) added by section 4 of Government Notice 1 of 2021][paragraph 6D inserted by section 6 of Government Notice 669 of 2020, amended by section 8 of Government Notice 751 of 2020 and by section 6 of Government Notice 852 of 2020, and substituted by section 9 of Government Notice 943 of 2020 and by section 9 of Government Notice 1062 of 2020]

6E. Monitoring and compliance

(1)Sports bodies must ensure that athletes, players and support staff before resuming sporting activities-
(a)give written confirmation to the COVID-19 compliance officer or nominated operational personnel that-
(i)they are, to the best of their knowledge, currently free from COVID-19;
(ii)they have not had any symptoms of COVID-19 such as high temperature or fever, a new continuous cough or new unexplained shortness of breath in the 10 days immediately prior to the resumption of training or playing;
(iii)they have not been in contact with a COVID-19 confirmed or suspected case in the 10 days immediately prior to the resumption of training or playing; or
(iv)club or team medical personnel have taken all infection prevention measures with the addition of the appropriate Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) when reviewing patients with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 in the 10 days immediately prior to the resumption of sporting activities.
(b)comply with the Regulations and the Directions pertaining to contact tracing;
(c)ensure compliance with minimum standards to prevent the spread of COVID-19 including the following:
(i)Pre-match medical screening;
(ii)sporting venue readiness and sanitisation; and
(iii)compliance with sports bodies or international sport bodies protocols.
(2)[subparagraph (2) deleted by section 10 of Government Notice 1062 of 2020]
(3)[subparagraph (3) deleted by section 10 of Government Notice 1062 of 2020][paragraph 6E inserted by section 6 of Government Notice 669 of 2020 and substituted by section 10 of Government Notice 943 of 2020]

6F. Appointment of compliance officer

(1)Sports bodies must appoint compliance officers, in writing, before any resumption of sporting activities, to ensure compliance with these Directions in order to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
(2)A designated COVID-19 compliance officer must oversee-
(a)the implementation of the operational plan for each activity; and
(b)adherence to the standards of hygiene and health protocols relating to COVID-19 at sporting venues.
[paragraph 6F inserted by section 6 of Government Notice 669 of 2020, amended by section 9 of Government Notice 751 of 2020 and by section of 7 Government Notice 852 of 2020, and substituted by section 11 of Government Notice 943 of 2020 and by section 11 of Government Notice 1062 of 2020]

6G. ***

[paragraph 6G inserted by section 10 of Government Notice 751 of 2020, substituted by section 12 of Government Notice 943 of 2020 and deleted by section 12 of Government Notice 1062 of 2020]

6H. ***

[paragraph 6H inserted by section 10 of Government Notice 751 of 2020, substituted by section 13 of Government Notice 943 of 2020 and deleted by section 13 of Government Notice 1062 of 2020]

6I. Closing and opening of places or premises to public

(1)The following places or premises are closed to the public:
(a)Access to sports grounds and fields is prohibited for two weeks;
(b)all beaches, dams lakes and rivers inclusive of all recreational facilities at these places, in all the areas declared as hotspots;
(2)Beaches that are open, museums, galleries, libraries and archives, cinemas and theatres, gyms and fitness centres must adhere to the following health protocols:
(a)Sufficient hand sanitisers or facilities to wash hands with water and soap must be made available as provided for in paragraph 6C (3);
(b)social distancing between customers, visitors and staff, wherever possible;
(c)wearing a face mask at all times, when entering and inside the place or premises;
(d)a face mask may only be removed while eating or drinking;
(e)contactless payments and pre-booking should be used, where possible;
(f)the place or premises must be deep-cleaned before opening, and before and after use;
(g)equipment and tools must be cleaned and sanitised regularly;
(h)common areas including toilets, door handles and shared equipment must be regularly cleaned and sanitised frequently;
(i)where possible, windows and doors should be kept open, to ensure adequate ventilation;
(j)adequate personal protection equipment must be provided to all employees;
(k)all persons inside the place or premises must maintain a one and half metres social distance between each other;
(l)steps must be taken to ensure that persons queuing inside or outside the premises maintain a distance of one and half metres from each other;
(m)every person entering the place or premises must be subjected to temperature screening;
(n)a person with an elevated temperature or COVID-19 symptoms must be refused access to the place or premises;
(o)a compliance officer must be appointed as provided for in paragraph 6F.
(3)Gyms and fitness centres must mitigate the risk of transmission of COVID-19 by implementing the following measures:
(a)Constant cleaning, disinfection and hygiene:
(i)Hand sanitisers must be positioned at multiple locations around the facility;
(ii)soap and water must be available in the changing rooms and kitchens;
(iii)cleaning personnel must be available to continuously disinfect all areas of the premises throughout the day using chemicals with antiviral properties;
(iv)facilities must be cleaned throughout the day on a rotational basis by trained staff using materials with antiviral properties;
(v)disinfectant sprays and paper towels must be available for use and be disposed of in bins that must be emptied on a regular basis;
(b)Wearing a face mask and adherence to social distancing is compulsory -
(i)members must maintain a minimum distance of one and half metres apart in low and medium activity areas and two metres in high intensity areas;
(ii)everyone entering a gym or fitness centre must wear a face mask at all times;
(iii)a person undertaking vigorous activity may not wear a face mask during such activity, provided that a distance of two metres apart from another person is maintained;
(iv)low and medium intensity workout fitness equipment must be spaced one and half metres apart;
(v)high intensity workout fitness equipment must be spaced two metres apart;
(vi)the capacity of studio classes must be reduced to allow for two metres social distancing;
(vii)markers must be placed on the floor highlighting 1.5m or 2m social distancing as applicable;
(viii)posters must be placed around the facility highlighting social distancing protocols and the wearing of face masks.
(c)windows must remain open during operating hours;
(d)where a ventilation system is used, the person responsible for managing the premises must-
(i)extend the ventilation system operating hours for as long as practically possible before opening, and after closing the facility;
(ii)replace air filters according to the manufacturer’s maintenance schedule on a regular basis;
(iii)ensure that mechanical ventilation delivers outside air at a minimum rate of 10 litres per second per person (as per SANS 10400).
(5)Studios must limit the number of persons in order to comply with these Directions and the Regulations.
(6)There must be a 30-minutes window in between classes to allow for cleaning before other classes resume.
(7)Equipment including mats, etc, must be cleaned in between use.
(8)Saunas and steam rooms must remain closed.
(9)Food and beverage offerings must adhere to the Directions for the restaurant sector.
(10)Child care facilities must remain closed.
(11)All control measures must comply with the provisions of paragraph 6D.
(12)The venue owners of museums, galleries, libraries and archives, cinemas and theatres, gyms and fitness centres must-
(a)comply with the provisions of the Safety at Sport and Recreational Events Act, 2010 (Act No. 2 of 2010) for venues that may have a capacity of 2000 or more;
(b)comply with all municipal by-laws applicable to the hosting of such events;
(c)ensure that persons attending an event are wearing a face mask;
(d)develop a plan which incorporates measures set out in these Directions and the Regulations; and
(e)display the municipal certified capacity of the venue at the entrance stating the number of people allowed to enter the place or building.
[paragraph 6I inserted by section 10 of Government Notice 751 of 2020 and substituted by section 14 of Government Notice 943 of 2020, by section 14 of Government Notice 1062 of 2020 and by section 5 of Government Notice 1 of 2021]

6J. ***

[paragraph 6J inserted by section 15 of Government Notice 943 of 2020, substituted by section 15 of Government Notice 1062 of 2020 and deleted by section 6 of Government Notice 1 of 2021]

7. Commencement

These Directions come into effect on the date of publication in the Government Gazette and terminate on the date when the national state of disaster terminates.

Annexure A

[Annexure A added by Government Notice 669 of 2020 and deleted by section 11 of Government Notice 751 of 2020]

Annexure B

[Annexure B added by Government Notice 669 of 2020 and deleted by section 11 of Government Notice 751 of 2020]

Annexure C

[Annexure C added by Government Notice 669 of 2020, substituted by Government Notice 751 of 2020, by section 8 of Government Notice 852 of 2020 and by section 16 of Government Notice 943 of 2020, and deleted by section 16 of Government Notice 1062 of 2020]
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