Scientists call on government to end SA’s Covid-19 State of Disaster
They argue that most measures introduced at the start of the pandemic are no longer fit for purpose and others need to be tailored, especially as many people now have some form of immunity against the virus. By
Agroup of South Africa’s leading scientists has called on the government to end the National State of Disaster that was announced 22 months ago as a response to the Covid-19 pandemic, explaining that most restrictions are no longer fit for purpose to protect against the virus.
The scientists have made this call in an article that will be published in full on Daily Maverick’s website on Sunday night, 23 January. They are Professor Francois Venter from Ezintsha, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand; Professor Marc Mendelson, Head of Infectious Diseases and HIV, University of Cape Town; Professor Jeremy Nel, Head of Department, Infectious Diseases, University of the Witwatersrand; Professor Lucille Blumberg, Right to Care and University of Stellenbosch; Dr Zameer Brey, Health Systems Adviser and Groote Schuur Hospital Board Member; and Professor Shabir A Madhi, Dean, Faculty of Health Sciences and Professor of Vaccinology, University of the Witwatersrand.
They argue that putting South Africans under the stress of a “permanent code red” has too high a social cost and a devastating impact on health and education programmes and does not afford much protection against the highly transmittable Omicron variant of the virus.
“Finally, the continued lack of accountability and transparency that the Act affords to politicians for unscientific and irrational decision-making on issues of public health is long past justification,” they added.
The latest statistics released by the National Institute for Communicable Diseases South Africa recorded another 3,962 cases of coronavirus infections, with 31 deaths between 19 and 20 January. The positivity rate (10%) is now one-third of the records registered in December when it topped 30%. All indicators are showing that the Fourth Wave of infections is waning. There are currently 7,059 people in hospital with Covid-19.
South Africa’s wastewater surveillance programme, monitoring the presence of coronavirus in wastewater, also shows a definitive downward trajectory, with the exception of some districts in KwaZulu-Natal, the Free State and the Western Cape.
In March 2020 President Cyril Ramaphosa declared a National State of Disaster in terms of the Disaster Management Act to enable the government to respond to the unfolding Covid-19 pandemic at the time.
In their article the authors argue that, given the current understanding of the virus and building immunity, most measures introduced back then are now unfit for purpose and others need to be tailored – especially as high numbers of South Africans now have some form of immunity against the virus, either through prior infection or vaccination. They also point out that there was a definitive “decoupling” between the number of infected people and the number of hospitalisations during the current wave of infections.
In addition, they emphasise that the most recent wave of infections, driven by the Omicron variant, did not result in significant stress on the South African health system.
The authors add that they can see no reason for the continued use of this legislation, nor for the National Coronavirus Command Council, and the government should instead focus on the vaccine programme and find a less cumbersome way than the Electronic Vaccination Data System to do this.
They add that, while many families receive a R350 grant that is linked to the ongoing state of disaster, this financial aid can be continued under the Social Assistance Act.
The authors add that restrictions on school attendance and programmes of rotational learning should be stopped, arguing instead for vaccine mandates for educators.
They also call for visiting hours to be reintroduced at hospitals, saying it was cruel and unnecessary to ban family visitors.
The authors also suggest that the testing of asymptomatic patients be stopped, and point out that a vaccine mandate for healthcare workers makes sense.
They argue that facilities should receive support to get and keep the basics in place, with an emphasis on staffing, compliance with general infection prevention measures, oxygen and drug supply, and ambulance service.
They recommend that contact tracing and quarantine be stopped, and that outdoor activities be opened up, without compulsory masks, and that there be a rethink about indoor safety measures.
The authors also argue that the “hygiene theatre” involving thermometers, Covid-19 questionnaires and the spraying of hands with alcohol should stop and fogging should definitely cease as well. “It is a useless waste of time and money. Always was. Many infections are asymptomatic, and even when they’re not, a fever is only present in a small minority of cases,” the statement reads.
The authors also recommend that curfews should be abolished.
Foster Mohale, spokesperson for the Department of Health, said earlier this week that the department was currently revising its guidelines on quarantine, isolation and contact tracing, and these would be made public soon. At this stage, he indicated, there were no plans to revise the mask mandate.