The Department of Sport, Arts and Culture (DSAC) has reiterated its commitment to working with all stakeholders within its sector towards a post-COVID recovery – a statement which was backed up by a successful meeting with the Southern African Communications Industries Association (SACIA) on Thursday, 03 September 2020.
The meeting is a promising step forward for the sector’s recovery, as it has allowed SACIA to present its safety protocols to DSAC which outline best practice recommendations on how live events can be safely hosted during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Once the protocols are endorsed by government, SACIA has undertaken to test them and demonstrate their ability to ensure the safety of both staff and attendees at events.
DSAC’s press release notes: “The measures include the prohibition of the consumption of alcohol at events with over 300 participants, and a further safety plan for 1 000 participants (drive-ins) for the Departments’ consideration. In addition to the normal National Coronavirus Command Council (NCCC) protocols, SACIA proposes to use technology such as electronic capacity monitoring systems to track how many participants are at events at any given time.”
SACIA has also requested that the 50-person limit for events be changed to a percentage of occupancy.
Once the protocols are endorsed by government, SACIA has undertaken to test them and demonstrate their ability to ensure the safety of both staff and attendees at events.
SACIA has also requested that the 50-person limit for events be changed to a percentage of occupancy, which will better take into account the capacity of a venue and ensure social distancing can be adhered to.
