FOR SA letter to Health Minister re repeal of regulations
21 June 2022
Dear Honourable Minister,
RE: REPEAL OF REGULATIONS ON THE CRITICAL CONTROL MEASURES TO CONTAIN THE SPREAD OF COVID-19 – EFFECT ON DRAFT HEALTH REGULATIONS
Your letter dated 20 June 2022, addressed to the MECs of Health, refers.
It appears from your letter that the Department is of the view that national data clearly indicates that the Republic has exited the fifth wave. As a result, your letter states that the Department has advised the National Coronavirus Command Council (“NCCC”) that Regulations 16A through 16C are no longer needed to be in place at present.
It appears from the letter that a repeal of these regulations will be recommended to Cabinet by no later than Thursday, 23 June 2022.
In light of the above, kindly advise:
- What effect the anticipated repeal of these regulations will have on the Department’s draft Regulations relating to the surveillance and the control of notifiable medical conditions: Amendment (“Draft Regulations”) which are currently open for comment until 5 August 2022; and
- Whether the Department is considering repealing the listing of COVID-19 as a category 2 notifiable medical condition due to the weak sub-variants now circulating, which evidently did not result in a significant fifth wave.
We look forward to hearing from you by no later than 17h00 on Tuesday, 28 June 2022 so that we can advise our constituency accordingly.
Sincerely,
Daniela Ellerbeck
Legal Advisor
Freedom of Religion South Africa (FOR SA)
