AFRICAN MIRROR REPORTER
BUOYED by low infection rates and better management of the pandemic, South Africa has announced the end of the state of disaster and a significant relaxation of COVID-19 restrictions on social and economic activity.
SA President Cyril Ramaphosa said the state of disaster, which was imposed with the onset of COVID-19, would be replaced by health regulations designed to help South Africans live with the pandemic.
Ramaphosa announced the following changes:
- Masks should only be worn indoors. In office, shops and public transport.
- Both indoor and outdoor venues can now take up to 50 percent of their capacity provided that the criteria for entrance are proof of vaccination or a COVID-19 test not older than 72 hours. “This change to the restrictions on gatherings will be of great benefit to the sporting, cultural, entertainment and events industries in particular.”
- The maximum number of people permitted at a funeral will increase from 100 to 200.
- The regulations on social distancing are also being changed, requiring that a space of one metre is maintained between persons in all settings except schools.
- Travellers entering South Africa will need to show proof of vaccination or a negative PCR test not older than 72 hours.
The following restriction remain:
- Night vigils, after-funeral gatherings and ‘after-tears’ gatherings are not allowed.
- Where there is no provision for proof of vaccination or a COVID test, then the current
upper limit will remain – 1,000 people indoors and 2,000 people outdoors.
- All unvaccinated travellers entering the country who want to be vaccinated will be offered a vaccination.
Ramaphosa said: “After four waves of infection, fewer people are becoming severely ill and requiring hospitalisation. There are far fewer deaths than before.
Our scientists tell us that this is mainly because some 60 to 80% of the population has some form of immunity to the virus, either from previous infection or vaccination. From the experience of the past two years, our health services have learnt to manage the disease more effectively.
“We have gotten used to wearing masks and washing our hands regularly. Most importantly, 48 per cent of all adults have received at least one vaccine dose. We, therefore, enter the third year of this pandemic more hopeful than ever before. While the pandemic is not yet over, and while we remain cautious, we see many parts of our daily life returning to normal.
We see our economy returning to full operation. We feel the fear and despair of the last two years lifting from our shoulders.”
The SA President warned that the easing of restrictions doesn’t mean COVID-19 is over.
“What should be clear is that the end of the National State of Disaster does not mean the end of the pandemic. It just means that we are changing the way we manage the pandemic, and we will be relying on health regulations rather than disaster management regulations.
It means that we are learning to live with the virus in our presence. It means that we are returning, as far as possible, to the lives that we lived before the pandemic.
“It means that we are opening our economy still further and that we are resuming many of the social and cultural activities that we have missed over the last two years.
Since October last year, the country has been at Adjusted Alert Level 1, which has meant that many normal activities have resumed with health guidelines followed at all times.
Most of the restrictions on economic activity have been lifted. We are now able to ease the restrictions further,” he said.
