Ramaphosa to call family meeting soon
As calls mount to do away with the national state of disaster, President Cyril Ramaphosa says new health regulations that are meant to replace the lockdown regulations have been published.
He said public consultations with leaders from different sectors of society are underway and that he will address the nation on the process in the coming days.
Ramaphosa was responding to oral questions in the National Assembly on Thursday.
The department of health this week published proposed health regulations to deal with Covid and other notifiable medical conditions outside the national state of disaster.
Government is calling for public comments to allow people to have meaningful input into the decision-making process after it extended the national state of disaster by another month.
The proposed regulations seek to introduce a number of control measures which include the surveillance and the control of notifiable medical conditions; public health measures at ports of entry; management of human remains; and regulations relating to environmental health.
According to the proposed regulations with regards to measures in ports of entry, all people entering or exiting South Africa during the pandemic should present negative PRC test results valid not older than 72 hours if they don’t have a vaccination certificate.
This repeals the current requirement of negative PRC test results for incoming travellers, with or without a vaccination certificate.
As part of efforts to manage transmission during large gatherings considered to be possible superpreader events, the regulations propose the restriction of night vigils and after-funeral gatherings.
Indoor and outdoor gatherings may be occupied up to 50% of the venue capacity, provided there is production of a valid vaccine certificate, practice of social distancing of at least one metre and compulsory wearing of masks.
The attendance of indoor gatherings without proof of vaccination will be limited to 1 000 people and 2 000 for outdoors with social distancing.
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