It’s been two long years since COVID-19 changed the world, and Capetonians are long ready to move on from the dark era of lockdowns, masks and alcohol bans. And in agreement, Western Cape premier Alan Winde says South Africa is now at a point where he believes COVID restrictions can finally be put to rest.
As reported by BusinessTech, Winde said in a media briefing on Tuesday 7 June that he sent an official letter to President Cyril Ramaphosa to call for an urgent President’s Coordinating Council (PCC) meeting so that changes to COVID restrictions can be discussed.
“In practice, this means that we need to allow congregations, convention centres, stadiums, and other economic hubs to operate at full capacity once again while we continue to safely navigate life. By doing away with these restrictions, we will enable businesses to operate at full capacity and grow,” Winde explained.
He also added: “Residents should be allowed to practice the necessary behaviours that they deem fit and that they have learnt throughout the pandemic, to protect themselves and those around them.”
According to Winde, the time is right for change since there has been “a continued decoupling between COVID-19 infections, hospitalisations, and deaths”. This is quite noticeable in the Western Cape as there has been “a reduction in severe disease during the current resurgence and the fourth wave, compared to earlier waves”.
The most recent resurgence of COVID cases in May 2022 saw a stable and manageable number of cases – cases did not increase beyond 1 200 new cases a day – and as such, the National Department of Health did not declare this resurgence as a new distinct wave. Winde believes that South Africa should thus prioritise other more urgent matters over seemingly unnecessary COVID protocols.
“The recent Quarterly Labour Force Survey has demonstrated that our country’s unemployment rate has reached a crisis level and needs to be addressed with the same urgency that we showed when confronting COVID-19.
“It is for this reason, based on clear data in support of this call, that I call for the lifting of all remaining COVID-19 restrictions, and for this to urgently be done. Mr President, it is a time that you call for an urgent PCC,” says Winde.
While the end of South Africa’s national state of disaster indicates a great step in the right direction, several regulations remain on travel, mass gatherings and mask-wearing. These regulations include the following:
Masks
Some of the key regulations around masks which remain in effect include:
- The wearing of a face mask is mandatory for every person when in an indoor public place – including public transport.
- The health minister has the power to lift regulations around masks when he deems they are no longer necessary.
Gatherings
All gatherings are permitted at 50% of the venue capacity:
- Provided persons are fully vaccinated and in possession of a valid vaccination certificate; or
- Unvaccinated but in possession of a valid certificate of a negative Covid-19 which was obtained not more than 72 hours before the date of the gathering.
Alternatively, gatherings are permitted for the unvaccinated and those without tests, but are limited to 1 000 persons or fewer for indoor venues and 2 000 persons or fewer for outdoor venues.
If the venue is too small to hold the prescribed number of persons observing a distance of at least one metre from each other, then not more than 50% of the capacity of the venue may be used, subject to strict adherence to all health protocols and social distancing measures.
Travel
Travel into South Africa is permitted provided:
- Fully vaccinated people must, upon arrival at the land border, produce a valid vaccination certificate; and
- Unvaccinated people must, upon arrival, provide a valid certificate of a negative Covid-19 test, recognised by the World Health Organisation, which was obtained not more than 72 hours before the date of travel. They may also produce a negative antigen test provided it was not taken 48 hours before travel, or a certificate showing they have tested positive for Covid within the last 90 days.
Compared to the height of the pandemic, these restrictions are indeed a lot less stringent, but premier Alan Winde hopes to see an end even to them.
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Picture: @alanwinde / Twitter
