No More Masks in Indoor Gatherings for Mzansi Says Health Minister Dr Joe Phaahla, South Africans React

• Minister of Health Joe Phaahla gazetted that there is no legal requirement to wear face masks indoors
• Limitations on gatherings, testing and vaccination requirements for international visitors are also a thing of the past
• South Africans have mixed views to the mask ruling, with many people saying they will opt to keep them on

JOHANNESBURG - More than two years after South Africans first started wearing face masks, Minister of Health Joe Phaahla gazetted that there is no legal requirement to wear them on Wednesday 22 June.

Masks became a requirement when the national state of disaster was implemented in 2020 following the Covid-19 pandemic. South Africans were required to wear face masks in all public shapes.

Along with the scrapping of masks, limitations on gatherings, testing and vaccination requirements for international visitors are also a thing of the past. These regulations were implemented as part of the national state of disaster since the outbreak of the pandemic in the country two years ago. According to SABC News, the country has a test positivity rate of 5.3%.

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While many South Africans are relieved that masks are no longer a legal requirement, according to a Twitter poll that Briefly News shared, more than 50% of people will opt to remain masked up.

Business Insider South Africa recommends cutting the elastic bands from disposable face masks before throwing them out since they are not recyclable.

Here’s what Mzansi had to say about wearing masks:

Annelize Paulsen said:

“I'll still wear mine just as a precaution.”

Yadah Shange wrote:

“I’ve become comfortable with it and it’s fashionable, I’ll still have it on, especially when I want to navigate a mall without small talk from people I meet. Perfect disguise.”

Tshepiso Maguire commented:

“When I'm in a taxi and someone coughs, I'm definitely wearing my mask.”

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Minister of Health Joe Phaahla suggests new Covid19 regulations to drop masks completely

Purity Nzimande posted:

“I really enjoyed it when people didn't recognise me.”

Minister of Health Joseph ‘Joe’ Phaahla suggests new Covid19 regulations to drop masks completely

In a related matter, Briefly News also reported the Minister of Health Joseph 'Joe’ Phaahla wants the wearing of masks in public indoor areas to be scrapped. In his memorandum, the minister also suggested dropping the limit on the size of public gatherings.

The regulations were the foundation of the government’s fight to curb the Covid-19 pandemic and flatten the curve. Phaahla said there had been a decrease in critical indicators such as the number of reported cases, hospitalisations and deaths related to the virus, News24 reported.

Source: Briefly News