“When Covid-19 started, as a committee we were there. We were the committee at the coalface. We were right there with every attempt to save lives. We were driven to save lives and the economy. We were there at the onset and we urged the department to do certain things regarding the coronavirus, infection and the spread of the virus. We were combating the spread of infections. We were there in the beginning when we said facilities needed to be put in place. We put up a fight for field hospitals, for ventilators, oxygen and so on.
“At every turn when something had been put in place we were the same people who objected to what had been put in place. I find it very strange and illogical that when one realises something is not in place and an attempt is made to put it in place, one objects to what is being put in place,” Jacobs said.
He stressed the regulations introduced during the pandemic contributed to lowering the rise in infections, and said there was no way the wearing of masks and other non-pharmaceutical interventions should be discontinued.
He cautioned those who were opposed to the regulations to take into consideration that a change of season would bring about health changes.
“We have just come from the summer period and are going into winter. Other countries experienced increased numbers of infections during their winter. We are fortunate the Omicron variant was not as dangerous because the prevention strategies put in place by the department saved many lives.”
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Deadline for public comment on Covid-19 regulations extended as parties prepare to fight
Image: 123rf/kellyermis
Parliament’s portfolio committee on health has announced the deadline for public comment on the proposed Covid-19 health regulations has been extended from April 16 to April 24.
The extension was announced on Thursday after the committee was briefed by health minister Joe Phaahla on the proposed regulations.
ActionSA has indicated its legal team is preparing an urgent high court review to challenge the regulations should they be made final in their present form.
Rebels will face music for refusing Covid-19 medical examination
The party accused co-operative governance and traditional affairs minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma and Phaahla of acting outside their legal authority by proposing some of the regulations.
The party said the current regulations were unconstitutional and infringed on the rights of South Africans.
“ActionSA wants to make it unambiguously known that should these regulations be made final after the deadline for public comment , we will proceed to court on an urgent basis. Our legal team is readying the application in anticipation of having to approach the courts,” the party said.
Listing their grievances, ActionSA said the current rules were unacceptable because:
The chairperson of parliament’s health committee, Dr Kenneth Jacobs, expressed his frustration about resistance against the proposed restrictions.
“When Covid-19 started, as a committee we were there. We were the committee at the coalface. We were right there with every attempt to save lives. We were driven to save lives and the economy. We were there at the onset and we urged the department to do certain things regarding the coronavirus, infection and the spread of the virus. We were combating the spread of infections. We were there in the beginning when we said facilities needed to be put in place. We put up a fight for field hospitals, for ventilators, oxygen and so on.
“At every turn when something had been put in place we were the same people who objected to what had been put in place. I find it very strange and illogical that when one realises something is not in place and an attempt is made to put it in place, one objects to what is being put in place,” Jacobs said.
He stressed the regulations introduced during the pandemic contributed to lowering the rise in infections, and said there was no way the wearing of masks and other non-pharmaceutical interventions should be discontinued.
He cautioned those who were opposed to the regulations to take into consideration that a change of season would bring about health changes.
“We have just come from the summer period and are going into winter. Other countries experienced increased numbers of infections during their winter. We are fortunate the Omicron variant was not as dangerous because the prevention strategies put in place by the department saved many lives.”
TimesLIVE
Support independent journalism by subscribing to the Sunday Times. Just R20 for the first month.
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