Ramaphosa to address the nation ‘soon’

President Cyril Ramaphosa has alluded to new health regulations set to replace the current lockdown regulations, prompting a national address in the “coming days”.

Ramaphosa said public consultations with various leaders were underway while responding to oral questions in the National Assembly on Thursday.

This week, the Department of Health published proposed health regulations to deal with Covid-19 outside the national state of disaster.

This involved amending the National Health Act regulations to allow the country to move out of the state of disaster.

ALSO READ: New health laws being drawn up to end state of disaster

“We have met with traditional leaders; we have met with various other leaders, as well as religious leaders and we are talking precisely about this and I can assure you again, we are going to lift the [National] State of Disaster and we are going to put in place health regulations – regulations that will enable everyone to feel safe but at the same time, we want to boost vaccination,” Ramaphosa said.

It has been more than 700 days since the state of disaster was declared in 2020.

Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta) Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma earlier this week extended the national state of disaster by yet another month, despite widespread condemnation.

AfriForum is taking the government to court again, accusing it of being “power hungry” after extending the state of the national disaster by a month.

And according to DearSA, government will oppose the court bid after the civil rights organisation was notified about the move by Cogta Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma recently.

But government has called for public comment to allow the public to have a meaningful input into the decision-making process.

Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Cogta has since completed that the process of drafting the Disaster Management Amendment Bill.

ALSO READ: National State of Disaster extended by another month

Proposed regulations

The regulations said to help move the country out of a national state of disaster involve a number of control measures, such as surveying notifiable medical conditions, public health measures at points of entry, the management of human remains, and regulations relating to environmental health.

It is proposed that people entering or exiting South Africa during the pandemic should present negative PCR tests no older than 72 hours, if they do not have a full vaccination certificate.

Current regulations stipulate all travellers must present a negative PCR test, whether they are vaccinated or not.

ALSO READ: Tourism industry urges govt to remove PCR test requirement for vaccinated travellers

Regarding large gatherings that could turn into super spreader events, regulations propose the restriction of night vigils and after-funeral gatherings, with 50% venue occupancy at indoor and outdoor gatherings if masks are worn and social distancing is practiced.

No proof of vaccination at social gatherings will be limited to 1 000 people indoors and 2 000 people outdoors, with social distancing.

“I want to see the [National] State of Disaster coming to an end but I am not going to be reckless and I am going be orderly and in days, I am going to address the nation and explain precisely where we are headed to and how we should traverse this new route that we are going on,” he said.

Ramaphosa warned Covid-19 was still a concern, and expressed worry regarding those who had not yet been vaccinated.

Countries around the world able to open up participation to 100% stand at 70% to 80% vaccination.

At the beginning of the month, only 48% of adults had received at least one jab.

“Now we have been saying let us all as leaders participate in encouraging our people to vaccinate. I am yet to hear and to see leaders in the opposition benches talking about vaccination, going on the ground and getting people to be vaccinated.

“Instead, they talk against vaccination.”

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