Health minister, Joe Phaahla said that the government is working on new proposals to lift South Africa’s national State of Disaster.
During a media briefing on Friday, Phaahla said that a team comprised of members from the Department of Health, COGTA and the Department of Justice have been tasked with developing possible proposals, which are largely expected to be introduced under the Health Act.
Phaahla said that the team will make a presentation to the NCCC and Cabinet within the next seven days and depending on the discussions, further changes could be announced by President Cyril Ramaphosa.
While Phaahla noted calls by civil society groups and opposition parties to lift the state of disaster, he said that the government would not be ‘rushed’ into lifting the regulations as they are still necessary for addressing the ongoing pandemic.
Phaahla said that all provinces have now reached the peak of the fourth wave, while Gauteng has officially exited its fourth wave.
On Thursday (13 January), South Africa reported 5,920 new cases of Covid-19, taking the total reported to 3,546,808. Deaths have reached 92,989 (+159), while recoveries have climbed to 3,346,936, leaving the country with a balance of 106,883 active cases. The total number of vaccines administered is 28,782,337.
Sources: BusinessTech, My Broadband
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