After close communication with the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD), the Department of Health met with the National Coronavirus Command Council (NCCC) and proposed the relaxation or removal of certain Covid-19 protocols.
Currently, wearing a mask indoors is mandatory. Public gatherings are capped at 50% of the venue, provided persons are fully vaccinated, or those unvaccinated have a negative Covid-19 test taken 72 hours before the date of gathering.
If tests are absent, gatherings are limited to 1000 people indoors and 2000 outdoors. If a venue is too small to hold the number of people allowed with at least one metre of social distancing, 50% venue capacity may not be breached.
With regards to travel restrictions, travellers to South Africa must provide proof of full vaccination. Those who can’t, must provide a negative Covid-19 test no older than 72 hours before departure.
The proposed regulations entail that mask-wearing is no longer needed. Entry restrictions to certain venues are also no longer needed, as well as capacity limits.
These regulations will be discussed with the Cabinet in the coming days. The Minister of Health, Joe Phaahla, has requested comments from provincial health ministers on whether they are in support of these proposed regulations.
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