Mask changes are still open for comment

Health minister Joe Phaahla says the fate of face masks and PRC tests after the 30-day transition period for will be contained in the final Covid-19 health regulations.

Addressing the media recently, Phaahla said the amendments had been gazetted for public comment until April 16.

The regulations are intended to ensure the country has mechanisms to control and manage the resurgence of Covid-19 after the lifting of the national state of disaster.

Addressing the nation earlier this month, President Cyril Ramaphosa said transitional measures, including the wearing of face masks, would remain in place for 30 days.

This is to “ensure essential public health precautions and other necessary services are not interrupted while the new regulations under the National Health Act come into effect”.

“We will still be required to wear a face mask in an indoor public space. This is necessary to prevent transmission in high-risk places, especially while many people remain unvaccinated.”

“We continue to receive inquiries about the fate of face masks, PRC tests post the 30-day period of the transitional measures and we reiterate that all these will be contained in the final health regulations,” Phaahla said.

The regulations will also deal with requirements for people entering the country, such as producing a vaccination certificate and/ or negative PCR test not older than 72 hours.

“Unless something drastic happens, prevention measures such as indoor mask use is still important,” he said.

Phaahla dismissed suggestions that the government is trying to control South Africans through Covid-19 regulations: “Other political parties allege we want to control people’s lives and now it is going to be the health department doing that. That is far from the truth. We need public health measures that make us safe and allow us to carry on with our lives.”