12,074 confirmed coronavirus cases in South Africa as deaths move to 219
President Cyril Ramaphosa has announced that there are now 12,750 confirmed cases of coronavirus in South Africa.
This is an increase of 724 cases from the 11,350 cases reported on Tuesday, with the country having recorded 698 new infections in the prior 24 hour period.
Ramaphosa said on Wednesday (13 May), that the total number of deaths has now reached 219. This is an increase of 13 deaths from the 206 reported on Tuesday.
Nine million screenings and 370,000 tests have been completed, the president said.
“There have been several projections about the path the disease would have taken without our swift action. The best current estimate is that without the lockdown at least 80,000 South Africans could have been infected by now and the death toll could have been eight times higher.
“At a similar stage in the progression of the disease, countries such as the United States had reported more than 22,00 deaths,” he said.
#Covid_19SA Statistics as at 13 May 2020 pic.twitter.com/HAUYZngQeL
— Dr Zweli Mkhize (@DrZweliMkhize) May 13, 2020
As at today, the total number of confirmed #COVID19 cases in South Africa is 12 074, the total number of deaths is 219 and the total recoveries (as at 12 May) is 4745. pic.twitter.com/RUIPfFw3zw
— Dr Zweli Mkhize (@DrZweliMkhize) May 13, 2020
Global pandemic
Globally, coronavirus cases pushed past 4.35 million, with deaths at 293,111, and 1.61 million recoveries to date.
The UK economy shrank almost 6% in March as the nation went into lockdown, plunging into what may be its deepest recession in more than three centuries, Bloomberg reported.
The sharp decline is only a small part of the damage of the restrictions to control the coronavirus, which were in place for all of April and look set to endure in some form for months to come. The measures heaped misery on an already tepid economy, with the Bank of England forecasting a staggering 25% contraction this quarter.
The country is beginning to take what Prime Minister Boris Johnson calls “baby steps” toward reopening its economy from coronavirus lockdown. But behind the messages about what people can now do, all the signs are that the government is digging in for the long haul, Bloomberg said.
New lockdown rules
Government has published a number of new directives which amend what can be sold during South Africa’s level 4 lockdown.
The directives, which were all published on Tuesday (12 May) by separate government departments, outline items which can be sold by retailers as well as the businesses that can sell them.
Minister of Trade and Industry, Ebrahim Patel, has issued a directive which will allow for the sale of cars during level 4 lockdown restrictions.
Patel also issued a directive which outlines which clothing items can be sold by retailers during lockdown.
Minister of small business Khumbudzo Ntshavheni has published a directive outlining what small and micro-businesses are allowed to sell during the lockdown.
In line with the current level 4 regulations, Ntshavheni confirmed that the following business can operate:
- Small scale bakeries and confectioneries;
- Small scale hardware stores;
- Informal restaurants and shisanyamas for home deliveries only;
- Trades, herein referred to as artisanry businesses, necessary for rendering emergency repair work, including plumbers, electricians, locksmiths, glaziers, roof repair work, tow trucks, vehicle recovery and automobile repairs (motor mechanics), including small -scale vehicle services centres/ workshops, small -scale motor body repair shops, and fitment centres;
- Sole traders within the clothing and textiles and confectionery business;
- Cooperatives operating under permitted businesses in line with the regulations.
Read: New retrenchment data shows the start of South Africa’s jobs bloodbath
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