Health Minister Joe Phaahla says that next week they will present evidence to the National Coronavirus Command Council to end the National State of Disaster Regulations.

Phaahla says that the government is working on revised health regulations to replace the state of disaster and the Disaster Management Act.

“The National Department of Health is leading in that regard. We are working on our health regulations, making sure we can have, you know, protection measures, through the National Health Act and its regulations to replace the state of disaster, the Disaster Management Act. We are almost at the tail-end to finalise this matter,” said Phaahla.

In his State of the Nation address, President Cyril Ramaphosa also promised that the end of the state of disaster regulations was in sight. Ramaphosa said: “It is our intention, and my intention, to end the national state of disaster as soon as we have finalised other measures under the National Health Act and other legislation to manage and contain the pandemic.”