Question NW1333 to the Minister of Health
19 May 2023 - NW1333
Clarke, Ms M to ask the Minister of Health
(1)Whether, with reference to the Draft Regulations on the Surveillance and the Control of Notifiable Medical Conditions (NMCs) that were published in the Government Gazette on or about 15 March 2022, and the subsequent publishing of the Health Regulations Relating to the surveillance and control of NMCs on or about 4 May 2022, following his department’s repeal of Regulations 16A through 16C of the Health Regulations, his department will also withdraw the Draft Regulations in their entirety; if not, why not; if so, on what date (2) what are the reasons for his department’s decision not to repeal the listing of COVID-19 as an NMC in accordance with clause 3 of the Health Regulations, given his letter to various MECs, dated 20 June 2022, stating that the weak sub variants now circulating failed to produce a significant fifth wave; (3) what are his department’s reasons for not amending Regulation 20 of the existing regulations, which make a contravention of the regulations a crime punishable by up to 10 years’ imprisonment? ;
Reply:
(1) No. The draft Regulations published on 15 March 2022 will not be withdrawn. These draft Regulations do not deal only with Covid-19 but also with other notifiable medical conditions. The comments from the public are still being processed and will be considered for any decision/amendments to be made regarding the published draft Regulations. The draft Regulations also mean to address pandemic situations as the 2017 Regulations do not address the outbreak of pandemics.
(2) Notifiable Medical Conditions are diseases that are of public health importance because they pose significant public health risks that can result in disease outbreaks or epidemics with high case fatality rates both nationally and internationally. Covid-19 is such a condition and will therefore remain a NMC. COVID-19 is not listed specifically as it resorts amongst the respiratory diseases caused by a novel respiratory pathogen - NMC 20).
(3) The National Department of Health still believes contraventions of these Regulations has serious health implications and as such must remain an offence.
END.