Will these THREE restrictions remain in SA *after* lockdown ends?

It’s quite possible that, once the State of Disaster is officially over, some of the restrictions that have been with us for almost two years will linger for a little longer. Health Minister Joe Phaahla has previously stated that the end of lockdown won’t necessarily mean the end of coronavirus-related measures.

Over the weekend, Professor Salim Abdool Karim said the time was right to lift the existing rules – but not without a few caveats. The former government advisory has suggested keeping these THREE restrictions in place.

• Measures to avoid major outbreaks: Karim wants some ‘lighter restrictions’ on mass gatherings to stay.
• Large indoor gatherings: He also suggests that ‘a number of indoor events’ must exclude the unvaccinated.
• Selected mask wearing: According to the professor, masks should still be used ‘in poorly ventilated indoor areas’.

Why the time to move on in NOW

Professor Karim is fairly confident that the worst of pandemic is done and dusted. Even with the threat of new variants down the line, the medical expert believes that COVID-19 will eventually hit an evolutionary wall:

[PODCAST] There will come a point when the #COVID19 virus can’t mutate to get an advantage anymore. Do we know when this point will come? Find out more about this via @ProfAbdoolKarim. https://t.co/GuECaIH1WO pic.twitter.com/On8l11hxfc

— Bhekisisa (@Bhekisisa_MG) March 5, 2022

‘We should bin most remaining restrictions’ – Professor Karim

Speaking to eNCA on Saturday, Karim said that the government should now change its COVID-19 strategy, stating that the reliance on sanitisation and masks should be gradually wound down…

“I don’t know what government’s plans are with removing masks but what we’ve seen from other countries is that we have reached a stage where we can change our overall strategy, we can remove most of our restrictions and public health measures at this point.”

“We can get away from constant sanitising. We can drop requirements to wear masks outdoors, but we will probably need to keep a few things going forward, to keep as many people safe as possible.”

Salim Abdool Karim