Holomisa has joined the calls for the COVID-19 face mask restriction to be relaxed. Image: Bantu Holomisa/ Twitter
COVID-19 face mask restrictions challenged: Masks must fall, it’s time
Calls for COVID-19 face mask restrictions to be relaxed in South Africa are mounting with the State of Disaster drawing to a close.
Holomisa has joined the calls for the COVID-19 face mask restriction to be relaxed. Image: Bantu Holomisa/ Twitter
With COVID-19 restrictions in South Africa slowly, but surely, relaxing a major debate has circled around how effective face masks are in the fight against the pandemic.
‘Masks must fall’: COVID-19 law questioned
United Democratic Movement leader Bantu Holomisa has now called for the regulations compelling citizens to wear masks in public to end.
Taking to his official social media page, Holomisa posted simply that ‘masks must fall’, adamant that the time has come for the regulation to be relaxed.
This regulation was put into place by President Cyril Ramaphosa at the onset of the pandemic in South Africa. Since then it has remained in place with every public place requiring masks in order for citizens to enter.
However, it seems highly unlikely that this particular COVID-19 restriction will be relaxed any time soon. Nevertheless, Professor Salim Abdool Karim has pointed to some hope for those who can’t stand this particular preventative measure.
Professor Salim Abdool Karim calls for restrictions against ‘unvaccinated’
Earlier, Professor Salim Abdool Karim called for unvaccinated South Africans to be ‘restricted’ from certain indoor settings – in a bid to help keep COVID-19 under control after the State of Disaster has ended.
Speaking on Saturday, the former government advisor urged the government to end almost all remaining lockdown restrictions, but also suggested that some ‘lighter measures’ remain in place. Karim believes outdoor mask mandates and requirements to sanitise ‘can be dropped’ – but he isn’t so relaxed when it comes to the unvaccinated.
“We probably do need to retain some restrictions on large gatherings. We must ensure that all public indoor environments are largely restricted to individuals who are vaccinated. When you have had a vaccine, you carry a lower load of the virus when you get infected – meaning there is a lower risk of spreading COVID-19 to others.”
