When Dlamini-Zuma gazetted the new laws South Africans will have to adhere to until Covid-19 legislation is officially adopted by the National Health Act, an additional detail has caught the eye of everyone.
According to the amended Disaster Management Act, the State of Disaster will end in April however a provision was added that a few lockdown rules will continue for 30 days after the end of the State of Disaster.
Dlamini-Zuma told the public yesterday that the State of Disaster could finally be lifted as early as Tuesday 5 April – in just six days’ time. If that was the case, however, the lockdown rules that are in place now would remain with us until the first week of May.
The 30-day rule has been set out in the Government Gazette:
“The regulations and directions specified will not cease to operate or cease to be of force and effect merely because the national State of Disaster comes to an end, and will continue to operate until 30 days after the national State of Disaster ends – whereupon the regulations and directions concerned will automatically lapse.”
Some COVID-19 mitigation measures – such as indoor mask-wearing and one-metre distancing – are set to stay with SA for the foreseeable future.
Sources: MSN, Tame Times
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Also read: State of Disaster could be lifted by 5 April
