The health minister has repealed regulations requiring face masks, restrictions on gatherings and checks at borders.
JOHANNESBURG – Health Minister Joe Phaahla has ended the mandatory use of masks indoors as well as removed restrictions on gatherings.
Phaahla signed a repeal on Wednesday with one other change – checks at South Africa’s borders.
BREAKING NEWS: Health Minister Joe Phaahla has ended the mandatory use of #masks indoors as well as removed restrictions on #gatherings. This comes as the country experiences low #COVID19 infections and related deaths. @NkoRaphael pic.twitter.com/4NoPIVe77G
EWN Reporter (@ewnreporter) June 22, 2022
Regulation 16A refers to “wearing of face masks to contain the spread of COVID-19”. Up until Wednesday, people were required to use a face mask in any public indoor space or when using public transport. Regulation 16B refers to the “regulation of gatherings to contain the spread of COVID-19”.
Limits were put on gatherings of no more than 100 people and up to 50% of a venue’s maximum capacity if everyone was vaccinated. If vaccination statuses were unknown, a maximum of 1,000 people indoors and 2,000 outdoors was permitted. “Regulation of persons entering the country to contain the spread of COVID-19” refers to 16C, which required negative PCR tests, vaccnination certificates or proof of recovery from COVID-19 from travellers older than 12 years old.
On Thursday morning, Phaahla is due to join Minister in the Presidency Mondli Gungubele for a briefing.
On Tuesday, a leaked memo that couldn’t be verified led to an expectation that government would be relooking at its stance on wearing masks.
