PRESS RELEASE: COVID REMAINS CATEGORY 2 "NOTIFIABLE MEDICAL CONDITION"

Press release

23 June 2022

For immediate distribution

Minister repeals new health rdegulations - COVID remains category 2 “notifiable medical condition”

The Health Minister yesterday repealed Regulations 16A through 16C of the Health Regulations Amendment, 2022. This followed reports on social media containing an alleged letter from the Health Minister to various MECs of Health. This letter stated that South Africa had exited the fifth wave and proposed repealing the regulations relating to indoor mask-wearing, gathering restrictions and travel restrictions.

These regulations were gazetted by the Minister on 4 May 2022 as part of managing COVID-19 after the end of the State of Disaster. The listing of COVID-19 as a category 2 notifiable medical condition has not been repealed. Similarly, despite the Regulations 16A through 16C being repealed, the Minister is still allowing for public comments on the Draft Health Regulations until 5 August 2022.

“The Draft Health Regulations differ from the now repealed Regulations 16A through 16C in that they are much wider and more intrusive, proposing, amongst other things, mandatory “treatment”. Treatment is undefined and can be interpreted to mean mandatory vaccination,” says FOR SA’s Executive Director, Michael Swain.

FOR SA has written to the Minister asking for him to withdraw the Draft Health Regulations in their entirety, as well as repeal COVID-19’s listing as a notifiable medical condition. Should the Department decide otherwise, FOR SA asked that it provide reasons for this decision.

“Extremely concerning is the continuation of COVID-19’s listing as a notifiable medical condition, which makes it possible for the Minister to promulgate regulations under the National Health Act which limit fundamental rights and freedoms in an extreme way”, Swain says.