New Restrictions and penalties to enforce public Compliance with Measures to Reduce COVID-19 Spread

Find below the memo released by the National Taskforce on corona virus:

Whereas, the COVID-19 has been declared as a Pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO), the National Taskforce on Coronavirus Pandemic issued the Public Order No. 01/2021 dated 3^rd February 2021 to effect the partial lockdown measures, which will remain in force up to the 3rd March 2021.

Whereas, to enforce the National COVID-19 Guidelines and partial lockdown measures, the National Taskforce has considered it necessary to take further measures to prevent the wider spread of COVID-19 across the country. In view of the above, the National Taskforce is hereby once again putting in place the following measures:

• Warning the Public to stop receiving dead bodies in number at the airport, receptions, and burials. This should only be attended to by no more than twenty immediate relatives.
  
• Only authorized health facilities are allowed to use the approved antigen-based rapid diagnostic tests (RDT) for screening purposes. Meanwhile, interested facilities are advised to apply to the NTF for authorization.
• Warning all the public and private health facilities not to admit any COVID- 19 patient or suspect. They should instate alert the Public Health Emergency Operation Centre (EOC) by calling free toll, 6666;
• Directing Juba City Council and other town municipal councils to ensure that traders, hotels, customers, and the general public comply with environmental cleaning, hygiene and sanitation, COVID-19 Guidelines and lockdown measures; and
• Directing Civil Aviation administration to assign more personnel to enforce COVID-19 measures at the entrance and within the airport to ensure all travelers comply with civil aviation safety and COVID-19 protocols.

The National Taskforce issues this Order to effect the following restrictions and measures for enforcing the COVID-19 protocols and partial lockdown measures in force, along with other South Sudan Panel Code 2008 that shall be applicable on whoever:

• Violates the guidelines banning funeral rites, reception, transport, and burial of dead bodies.
• Does not comply with infection prevention and control measures at public places such as health facilities, airports, markets, hotels, restaurants, shops, tea places, public and private institutions.
• Transports people in public or private vehicles, boda-bodas and rakshas (rickshas) at more than half-capacity.
• Does not wear facemasks and observe social distancing measures in public places, vehicles, boda-bodas, and rakshas (rickshas).
• Crew or passenger does not comply with precautionary measures at bus stations, airports, river ports, and borders.
• Smuggles persons across borders or helping with illegal entry into South Sudan territories.
• Does not comply with the closure of learning institutions, sports activities, social events, places of worship, bars, nightclubs, or other places that attract gatherings.
• Disseminate false information or data on social media or misinformation related to the COVID-19 Pandemic.
• Intentionally conceals his or her positive COVID-19 status or that of
  his/her family member.
• Any COVID-19 positive, suspect, or contact who violates home or institutional quarantine and isolation measures.
• Stigmatizes or bullies the COVID-19 positive persons, suspects, or contacts.
• Refuses to test for COVID-19 upon request by concerned authorities.
• Any health facility that does not properly dispose of all biohazard materials and those related to COVID-19 Pandemic.
• Any person or persons who enter(s) without permission into the health facilities designated for isolation, quarantine, or treatment of COVID-19 cases.
• Any person or persons who destroy health care facilities, quarantine or isolation centers and damages equipment in those facilities.
• Any person who assaults medical workers or allied health personnel discharging their duties.
• Any business person or entity that monopolizes the increase of prices of food commodities, medicines, or other COVID-19 related items.

Whereas, due to the rise in coronavirus cases in recent weeks, the public and private establishments will face penalties if they compromise with the COVID- 19 and public health safety protocols set in place by the Ministry of Health and partial lockdown measures.

To enforce public compliance with COVID-19 measures, the National Taskforce hereby issues these new guidelines stipulating fines for people or entities that are found violating infection prevention and control measures put in place to prevent the spread of COVID-19:

All the competent courts of law and the South Sudan National Police Service are hereby directed to impose fines for violations as stated above. All fines shall be collected through South Sudan National Revenue Authority (NRA) Receipts and deposited to the respective NRA accounts within 24 hours of collection. The Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning is hereby to transfer the collected amount to the National Taskforce accounts.

With these new guidelines, I urge all the citizens to stay safe and follow all the health safety protocols in order to get our country back on track and return to normalcy as fast and as safely as we can.

This order shall come into effect from the 3^rd of March and shall remain in force till 3^rd April 2021. The National Taskforce remains seized of the situation.