COVID-19 STATE OF DISASTER

Regulations

• A notice declaring the Nelson Mandela Bay metropolitan municipality a ‘hotspot’ was gazetted on 3 December.
• On the same day, an amendment to the 1 October Covid-19 lockdown level one disaster management regulations was published:
  • prescribing the ‘hotspot’ measures announced by President Cyril Ramaphosa, applicable to the Nelson Mandela Bay metropolitan area and including:
    • an extension to the hours of curfew (from 22:00 to 04:00)
    • a significant reduction in the days on which retail outlets may sell alcohol and the times of day when sales may take place (between 10:00 and 18:00 from Monday to Thursday)
    • a 50% reduction in the number of people allowed to gather outdoors
    • a cap of 100 on the number of people allowed to gather indoors, and
    • prohibitions on post-funeral gatherings, alcohol consumption in public spaces and customary initiation practices.
• The amended regulations also incorporate changes made on 21 October and 11 November.
• An explanatory note gazetted on 3 December has confirmed that, elsewhere in SA, lockdown level one measures will continue to apply.

Health

• A directive issued on 3 December by Health Minister Zweli Mkhize amended one gazetted on 17 July (already amended on 7 August), affecting:
  • measures to be taken by prospective visitors to South Africa
  • anyone tested Covid-19 positive who is either asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic
  • the measures to be taken when someone passes away at home
  • transporting mortal remains
  • leaving South Africa
  • the cost of quarantine should this be necessary when entering SA
  • self-quarantine and self-isolation protocols
  • the designation of quarantine facilities
  • repeat testing, and
  • the crew of cargo and passenger vessels.

 

Travel and transport

 

• Amendments to measures affecting transport and travel were gazetted on 3 December in ministerial directives on:
  • driving licences, by:
    • extending to 31 August 2021 the validity period of various types of licence that have already expired during the State of Disaster or will shortly do so
  • entering or exiting SA, by:
    • repealing a requirement for ministerial approval before visiting SA for business purposes (imposed in a directive issued on 30 September)
  • air services, by:
    • amending measures in place since 1 October affecting domestic and international air travel, by:
      • prescribing stricter on-board protocols, and
      • imposing additional obligations on air service operators, and
  • seaports, affecting:
    • the protocols to be followed by foreign crew (prescribed in the 1 October directive), and
    • small craft calling at designated commercial ports.

 

Communications

 

• The Independent Communications Authority of South Africa has clarified the recently gazetted amendments to regulations making radio frequency spectrum temporarily available during the State of Disaster, confirming that:
  • the validity of these licences will be extended to 31 March 2021, but only on request
  • fees will be charged during the extended period, and that
  • licensees will be expected to continue providing free access to designated virtual classroom platforms, regardless of whether they choose to extend the validity of their temporary licences.

 

Export controls

 

• A ministerial directive backdated to 26 November has removed restrictions on the export of certain Covid-19-related goods to:
  • specific Southern African countries, and
  • in cases where they will be used for clinical trials or have been prescribed for ‘private individuals’.

 

GENERAL

 

Data costs

 

• The Competition Commission has extended the deadlines for finalising legislative and regulatory amendments recommended in its data service market inquiry report.

 

Climate change

 

• The Department of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries has called for comment on proposed methodological guidelines for quantifying forestry industry greenhouse gas emissions.

 

Prepared by Pam Saxby