South Africa Revokes Covid Restriction

The South African government has revoked COVID-19 rules that made masks mandatory in indoor public spaces.

The health Minister, Mr. Joe Phaahla said authorities had noted a decline in cases, hospitalisations, and reported deaths and concluded that a limited fifth wave was dissipating.

He urged those eligible for boosters and not yet vaccinated to come forward, “The COVID-19 virus is not yet gone, we are just stronger than before, especially with vaccination.”

South Africa’s vaccination campaign initially struggled because of limited supplies and protracted negotiations with manufacturers but more recently it has been dogged by hesitancy.

Around half of the country’s 40 million adults have received at least one vaccine dose, with 46% fully vaccinated.

Vaccination Certificate
Tourism Minister Lindiwe Sisulu said scrapping the requirement for travellers to show a vaccination certificate or negative COVID test would help make South Africa more accessible and help the hospitality industry.

The acting director of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, Africa CDC Ahmed Ogwell Ouma said“We also expect that the protocols will not all be the same during this stage of the pandemic,” told a briefing.

“We have encouraged them to use their own data, the evolving situation on the ground, and their capacity for surveillance to provide any adjustments.”

South Africa has recorded the most coronavirus cases and deaths on the African continent, with over 3.9 million confirmed infections and more than 101,000 deaths.

REUTERS/OO/CO