File picture: Se-Anne Rall
FACE masks are now a thing of the past. South Africans breathed a collective sigh of relief following an announcement that masks are no longer mandatory.
National Health Minister Dr Joe Phaahla on Wednesday evening repealed three regulations including the wearing of masks when in public as well as a regulation on the numbers permitted at a gathering and rules around vaccinations for people entering South Africa.
Earlier this week, it was reported that Phaahla made recommendations to the Cabinet.
The minister noted a decline in the number of reported Covid-19 cases and rate of hospitalisations, the effective productive rate of the virus, the positivity rate in the number of tests done and a decline in the number of daily deaths.
“We have been monitoring the epidemic working with the NICD and the current epidemiological analysis, points towards lower infection rates and that the country has exited the recent spike or fifth wave which the current limited regulations were promulgated to mitigate,” Phaahla said.
Phaala is expected to join Minister in the Presidency, Mondli Gungubele at a media briefing on the outcomes of the Cabinet meeting. The briefing is scheduled to take place at 11am.
According to the latest Covid statistics, SA has recorded 1,028 new infections and 57 new deaths in the last 24 hours. The country has 13,520 active Covid cases and a recovery rate of 97.1%.
Meanwhile, the decision to drop masks has been met with mixed sentiments.
Y’all can take off your masks as you please but let’s also respect those who choose to keep wearing them
— Carter Twins' Nanny (@Olugaho_) June 22, 2022
Masks are dropped? Finally I can meet my future husband again there in Woolies again and not just use my eyes.
— Carryn-Ann Nel (@carrynann) June 22, 2022
South Africans no longer required to wear face masks. Limits on gatherings have also been dropped but I'll continue to wear mask 😷😷😷
— Tsietsi Monyepa (@TsietsiMonyepa) June 22, 2022
I can finally retrain my mind, masks are not normal.
— LIVE YOUR PEACE (@MondliSkosana) June 22, 2022
The No masks announcement is similar to the announcement of SA moving from level 5 to level 4/3 lockdown and people were going out but many were against it🤣
— Professional Auntie💁🏾♀️ (@BeeMel0) June 22, 2022
Ngl it’s a bit triggering