Covid-19 regulations: Dropping masks and gathering rules on the cards?
The health ministry announced is currently reviewing the Covid-19 health protocols.
The health ministry confirmed that it was reviewing Covid-19 regulations and would meet the cabinet on Tuesday to propose changes.
A document circulating on social media, presumably authored by the department, proposed scrapping the requirement to wear masks in public following a recent downward trajectory in coronavirus infections in the country
Wearing masks in public has been mandatory for almost two years.
Further proposed changes include annulling the requirement that indoor gatherings be limited to 50% of capacity or 1 000 people and 2 000 outdoors if proof of vaccination is not provided.
The other regulation the department proposed to be scrapped was that all people leaving or entering the country provide a full vaccination certificate or tested negative for the virus, a PCR test not more than 72 hours old.
The document invited health MECs to comment on the proposed changes.
Though health spokesperson Doctor Tshwale confirmed that the ministry and the cabinet were reviewing the regulations, he could not authenticate the circulating document.
“We would make necessary announcements at an appropriate time.”
The regulations remained when the Disaster Management Act for Covid-19 was lifted at the end of May.
On Monday, the national institute for communicable diseases (NICD) reported 291 new Covid-19 cases and 16 fatalities, bringing the number of overall fatalities to 101 620.
At long last coming to grips with the reality. Effective end of Covid restrictions. Now to work on the collateral economic and other damage of what was self inflicted due to stubbornness of not following the science. pic.twitter.com/Z57XHOVd9k
— Shabir Madhi (@ShabirMadh) June 20, 2022
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