SA Gov suspends mask wearing
Previous Covid-19 regulations, including the wearing of face masks, have been suspended
FOR the past two years, wearing face masks has been a mandatory requirement for most South Africans to go to work, to go shopping, to enter any business premises or to travel. However, following South Africa’s Health Minister Joe Phaahla’s latest amendments in the Government Gazette yesterday evening, previous Covid-19 regulations, including the wearing of face masks, have been suspended.
In his statement, Phaahla said that the restrictions are to be dropped following a decline in hospitalisations and reported Covid-19 cases.
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“There is a decline in the number of reported cases. There is a decline in hospitalisations. There is a decline in the effective reproductive rate of the virus (less than 0,7%). There is a decline in the positivity rate, though the number of tests done is also low. And there is also a decline in the reported deaths,” said Phaahla.
As of Wednesday, June 22, South Africans are no longer required to wear masks indoors in public settings.
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Phaahla and Minister in the Presidency, Mondli Gungubele, are set to brief the nation at 11:00 on Thursday.
Caxton Local Media Covid-19 reporting Dear reader, As your local news provider, we have the duty of keeping you factually informed on Covid-19 developments. As you may have noticed, mis- and disinformation (also known as “fake news”) is circulating online. Caxton Local Media is determined to filter through the masses of information doing the rounds and to separate truth from untruth in order to keep you adequately informed. Local newsrooms follow a strict pre-publication fact-checking protocol. A national task team has been established to assist in bringing you credible news reports on Covid-19. Readers with any comments or queries may contact National Group Editor Irma Green (irma@caxton.co.za) or Legal Adviser Helene Eloff (helene@caxton.co.za). At the time of going to press, the contents of this feature mirrored South Africa’s lockdown regulations. 
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