Africa Regulatory Ensight 2021 | 03 *Coronavirus (COVID-19) Regulatory Measures 3
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Africa regulatory ENSight 2021 | 03 *Coronavirus (COVID-19) regulatory measures 3 Angola sector measure effective date/status key points and impact Immigration Executive Decree No. 56/21 of 3 March Effective from 3 March The Executive Decree: 2021 2021. • repeals Executive Decree No. 3/21 of 5 January 2021, which extended the validity of the documents listed below; and • determines that documents relating to the residence of foreign nationals who are absent from the national territory, including residence permits, refugee cards, investor visas, work visas and temporary residence visas, which expired from 28 February 2020, shall be considered valid until 30 April 2021. Applies to Presidential Decree No. 62/21 Effective from 12 March The Presidential Decree: multiple sectors (Exceptional and temporary measures in 2021. • repeals: force during the Situation of Public • Presidential Decree No. 39/21 (Exceptional and temporary Calamity under COVID-19) of 11 March measures in force during the Situation of Public Calamity 2021 under COVID-19) of 9 February 2021; • Joint Executive Decree No. 23/21 of 15 January 2021, which temporarily suspended regular air passenger connections with South Africa, Portugal and Brazil; and • all legislation contrary to the provisions of this Presidential Decree; • is amended by Presidential Decree No. 77/21 (Amendment of measures to prevent and control the spread of SARS-CoV-2 virus and COVID-19) of 26 March 2021 [see below]; and • updates the exceptional measures for the prevention and control of the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus and COVID-19, as well as the rules for the operation of public and private services, social and other activities for the duration of the Situation of Public Calamity, in force until 10 April 2021. 4 Angola sector measure effective date/status key points and impact Education Presidential Decree No. 77/21 Effective from 27 March The Presidential Decree amends Presidential Decree No. 62/21 (Amendment of measures to prevent and 2021. (Exceptional and temporary measures in force during the Situation of control the spread of SARS-CoV-2 virus Public Calamity under COVID-19) of 11 March 2021 in respect of the and COVID-19) of 26 March 2021 aspects concerning the special protection of vulnerable citizens, educational institutions, including educational institutions of foreign states and international schools, and adds an article on the special quarantine regime. 5 Botswana sector measure effective date/status key points and impact Applies to Emergency Powers (COVID-19) Published in the Botswana The Government Notice: multiple sectors Regulations, 2020 (Cap. 22:04 (Sub. Leg.)): Government Gazette, • extends the restriction on the movement of all persons between Restriction on Movement Extension, Volume LIX, No. 18 on 26 22:00 and 04:00 daily from 28 February 2021 to 31 March 2021; Government Notice No. 74 of 2021 February 2021. • requires all persons to carry a movement permit (essential services), issued under regulation 7(1), to travel during the hours when movement is restricted; • suspends, from 28 February 2021 to 31 March 2021, all gatherings with the exception of those specified in the Government Notice; and • provides that a meeting and workshop may be held with a maximum of 50 persons for a maximum of two hours. Liquor Emergency Powers (COVID-19) Published in the Botswana The Government Notice: Regulations, 2020 (Cap. 22:04 (Sub. Leg.)): Government Gazette, • repeals Government Notice No. 371 of 2020; Lifting of Liquor Restrictions, Government Volume LIX, No. 18 on 26 • lifts the ban on the sale of liquor from 1 March 2021; and Notice No. 75 of 2021 February 2021. • sets out restrictions relating to the sale and consumption of liquor. 6 Cabo Verde sector measure effective date/status key points and impact Applies to Resolution No. 33/2021 of 5 March 2021 Effective from 5 March The Resolution amends Resolution No. 138/2020 of 12 October multiple sectors 2021. authorising, with effect from 00:00 on 12 October 2020, commercial passenger air and sea traffic to and from Cape Verde in order to make it mandatory for all passengers on international passenger journeys from Cape Verde to submit a Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction (“RT-PCR”) test with a negative result. Applies to Resolution No. 35/2021 of 18 March 2021 Effective from 19 March The Resolution decrees the contingency situation on the island of São multiple sectors 2021 and shall be in force Vicente and extends this same situation on the other islands of the for a period of 60 days. archipelago, based on the evolution of the epidemiological situation and the exact terms of Resolution No. 20/2021 of 18 February 2021. Agriculture Resolution No. 36/2021 (Measures to Effective from 20 March The Resolution: Maintain Prices of Basic Food Products) of 2021. • approves the adoption of additional state financial compensation 19 March 2021 measures for companies importing the following basic food products whose prices have changed on the international market during the COVID-19 pandemic: • wheat flour (domestic production): CVE2 380 / 50kg bag; • wheat flour: CVE2 000 / 50kg bag; • second Argentine corn: CVE1 567 / 50kg bag; and • second yellow corn No. 2: CVE1 500 / 50kg bag; and • provides that the National Secretariat for Food and Nutritional Security (“SNSAN”) is in charge of negotiating with the importing companies in order to maintain the prices or reposition them if the process of their amendment has been advanced. 7 Cabo Verde sector measure effective date/status key points and impact Applies to Resolution No. 38/2021 of 19 March 2021 Effective from 19 March The Resolution amends Resolution No. 138/2020 of 12 October multiple sectors 2021. authorising, with effect from 00:00 on 12 October 2020, commercial passenger air and sea traffic to and from Cape Verde in order to provide, under article 3, that children under the age of seven are excluded from the presentation of a negative result of the RT-PCR test, antigen test or any other molecular test to enter Cape Verde and also on international travel from Cape Verde, if the criteria of the destination country permit. 8 Mauritius sector measure effective date/status key points and impact Labour / Notice: Financial Assistance for the Issued by the MRA. The Notice: Employment payment of salary compensation for the • provides that: period January 2021 to June 2021 • government has determined the salary compensation for the year 2021 to MUR375 which is applicable to employees earning a basic salary of up to MUR50 000; • government has decided to provide financial assistance to small and medium enterprises (“SMEs”) for the payment of the salary compensation for the months of January 2021 to June 2021 as follows: • where the SME is not an export enterprise, MUR375 for each full time employee earning a basic wage or salary of up to MUR50 375; and • where the SME is an export enterprise, MUR235 for each full time Mauritian employee earning a basic wage or salary of up to MUR50 235; and • the MRA will pay an amount of MUR140, being part of the salary compensation for 2021, as special allowance directly into the bank account of the Mauritian employee; and • sets out the eligibility criteria to benefit from the assistance, application procedure and refund by MRA. 9 Mozambique sector measure effective date/status key points and impact Applies to Decree No. 7/2021 of 5 March 2021 Effective from 7 March to 7 The Decree: multiple sectors April 2021. • provides that the Situation of Public Calamity and the Red Alert, decreed in Article 1 of Decree No. 79/2020 of 4 September 2020, remain in force; • establishes measures to contain the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, while the Situation of Public Calamity is in force; and • applies to all nationals and foreigners and public and private institutions in the national territory. Applies to Decree No. 8/2021 (Criteria for the Effective from 23 March The Decree: multiple sectors phased prioritisation of groups eligible for 2021 and shall be in force as • applies to all nationals and foreigners residing in Mozambique; and vaccination against COVID-19) of 8 March long as the availability of • establishes the principles and criteria used for the definition of the 2021 vaccines against COVID-19 phases and groups eligible for vaccination against COVID-19 and remains limited. their phased prioritisation system, in view of the current context of limited availability of COVID-19 vaccines. 10 Namibia sector measure effective date/status key points and impact Applies to Amendment of Public Health Covid-19 Published in the Namibia The Government Notice provides for the amendment of the Public multiple sectors General Regulations: Public and Government Gazette No. Health COVID-19 General Regulations published under Government Environmental Health Act, 2015, 7467 of 24 February 2021. Notice No. 233 of 23 September 2020 by: Government Notice No. 29 of 2021 • providing that these Regulations are effective from 00:00 on 25 February 2021 to 24:00 on 31 March 2021; and • amending the provisions relating to: • gatherings; • the curfew, which applies daily between 22:00 and 04:00; • the sale of liquor; • the operating times of all businesses, operations and activities; and • burials. Pharmaceutical Exclusion of Certain Medicines from Published in the Namibia The Government Notice provides for the exclusion of the below COVID- Operation of Section 18(1) of Medicines Government Gazette No. 19 vaccines from the operation of section 18(1) of the Medicines and and Related Substances Control Act, 2003, 7479 of 9 March 2021. Related Substances Control Act, 2003 (the “Act”), subject to the Government Notice No. 39 of 2021 following conditions: • a person who intends to import into Namibia any of the COVID-19 vaccines must be in possession of a licence to import such COVID-19 vaccines issued by the Namibia Medicines Regulatory Council under section 31(5)(c) of the Act; and • the COVID-19 vaccines’ labelling and package insert must be written or translated into the English language.