23 June 2022
Dear Honourable Minister,
RE: APPEAL FOR WITHDRAWAL OF DRAFT HEALTH REGULATIONS
Your repeal of Regulations 16A through 16C refers. It confirms that these regulations are no longer necessary for the management of COVID-19.
The aforementioned repeal, however, fails to repeal COVID-19 as a category two notifiable medical condition.
In light of the above, together with the fact that the Republic has exited the fifth wave, FOR SA calls upon the Department to:
- Withdraw, in their entirety, 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
- Repeal COVID-19 as a category 2 notifiable medical condition.
Should the Department decide not to withdraw the Draft Regulations, kindly advise what the Department’s reasons are for this decision.
Similarly, should the Department decide not to repeal COVID-19’s listing as a notifiable medical condition, kindly advise what the Department’s reasons are for this decision.
We look forward to hearing from you by no later than 17h00 on Thursday, 30 June 2022 so that we can advise our constituency accordingly.
Sincerely,
Daniela Ellerbeck
Legal Advisor
Freedom of Religion South Africa (FOR SA)