Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA) Minister, Dr Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, has gazetted a further extension of the National State of Disaster on COVID-19, until 15 April 2022.
In a Government Gazette issued on Monday, the Minister said the extension took into consideration the “need to continue augmenting the existing legislation and contingency arrangements undertaken by organs of state to address the impact of the disaster”.
The country has been under regulations of the National State of Disaster on COVID-19 since March 2020 when South Africa recorded its first cases of the virus.
President Cyril Ramaphosa, during his State of the Nation Address in February, said government planned to scrap the National State of Disaster as the country entered a new phase in the management of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Later, Health Minister, Dr Joe Phaahla, said various departments were “working on alternative measures” to replace regulations related to the National State of Disaster which could be presented to the National Coronavirus Comand Council (NCCC).