New Regulations: Refusing Treatment for Covid19 Could Lead to Involuntary Isolation Up to 48 Hours
- The new Covid19 regulations that were gazetted on Monday evening have been put in place since the first day of February
- These new rules now allow people who have tested positive for coronavirus but are not showing any symptoms to move around freely with no isolation period
- However, people who refuse to undergo treatment for the virus may be held against their will at a health facility
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JOHANNESBURG - From Tuesday, 1 February, a new set of Covid19 regulations under the current Adjusted Alert Level 1 were implemented.
Under the new rules, the time for self-isolation for people who contract Covid19 and are showing symptoms of the virus was reduced from 10 days to seven days.
The South African government also stated that people who do not show any symptoms are no longer required to isolate and will be allowed to move around freely despite their Covid status.
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Cabinet's decision to make these changes is based on increased immunity against Covid-19. It is estimated that at least 60% of South Africans have built up immunity to the coronavirus, with a possibility that immunity could be as high as 80%.
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The new regulations were officially gazetted on Monday night by the Minister of Co-operative Governance Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, according to the SowetanLIVE.
The gazetted regulations also speak on what will happen to people who test positive for Covid19 and show symptoms and they could suffer grave consequences.
What happens to people who refuse to get medical treatment for Covid19?
People who test positive for the virus are required to follow the instructions of a medical practitioner to isolate and seek out treatment, whether it is over the counter or at a health facility.
Whether the instruction was given to a patient orally or in writing, said patient is compelled to follow the doctor's orders.
If a person tests positive but refuses to seek medical treatment, such a person can be kept at a health facility involuntarily for up to 48 hours until a court order is obtained to continue keeping that person in isolation, reports BusinessInsider.
The only difference in the gazetted regulations that have been made since 2020, the word quarantine has been removed and on isolation is being used to describe what should happen if a person refuses treatment.
“This was a scam”: Mzansi wants all Covid19 regulations to end since kids are going back to school full time
Briefly News previously reported that for the first time since the implementation of the Covid19 regulations in March 2020, South African school children will be attending school on a full-time basis once again.
This comes after the Department of Basic Education made the decision to abandon the rotational timetable, which meant the pupils attended in-person classes for only 10 days a month.
Cabinet came to this decision on Monday night, 31 January and in the statement issued by the Office of the Presidency, schools are set to resume on a full-time schedule on Tuesday, 1 February, according to News24.
Source: Briefly News
