Johannesburg, Apr 2 (IANS): With the Easter weekend approaching, a South African Minister warned that police would be deployed in the streets to deal with people not adhering to Covid-19 regulations, especially those regarding alcohol.

Briefing the media on the updated regulations in Pretoria on Thursday, Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma said police roadblocks would be set up, reports Xinhua news agency.

"Over the weekend, the police will be set up roadblocks... People aren't allowed to be carrying alcohol from one place to another," she said.

The briefing came after President Cyril Ramaphosa's announcement that off-site alcohol sales would be prohibited from Friday to April 5.

No person would be allowed to buy alcohol at retailers.

Establishments such as restaurants and bars would sell alcohol but patrons would not be allowed to take it home.

Dlamini-Zuma said the decision to ban alcohol over the weekend was to curb the spread of the virus which had resulted in high levels of hospital admissions in December 2020.

"We have to take precautions because we know that during Easter weekend, there are lots of movements," she said.