The government says it is holding back some information on the Covid-19 pandemic, to avoid panic.<\/p>\n
The Sunday Times reported that the government’s strategy to keep crucial data from the public comes after an earlier model on which the country’s strict lockdown laws was heavily criticised.<\/p>\n
Minister of Health Dr Zweli Mkhize said Saturday (9 May), that there are now 9,420 confirmed cases of coronavirus in South Africa.<\/p>\n
This is an increase of 525 from the 8,895 cases reported on Friday, with infections having jumped by 663 cases over the prior 24-hour period.<\/p>\n
Dr Mkhize said that the total number of deaths has increased by eight, to 186.<\/p>\n
President Cyril Ramaphosa\u2019s spokesperson, Khusela Diko told the Sunday Times: \u201cWe don\u2019t want to put these models out to the public as if they are the gospel truth.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere is an element where we want to avoid panic in communities, and we\u2019re also mindful of the stigma of the virus.\u201d<\/p>\n
Experts noted that the government’s decisions on reopening the economy are based on information and data that is not available to the public.<\/p>\n
The data will include epidemiological models drawn up by leading scientists, actuaries and mathematicians tracking how effective the lockdown has been, the Sunday paper said.<\/p>\n
Opposition<\/strong><\/p>\n Opposition party, the Democratic Alliance\u00a0 DA has demanded the minutes of all discussions held by the National Coronavirus Command Council (NCCC) on the coronavirus.<\/p>\n DA leader, John Steenhuisen, said the party has filed an application in terms of the Promotion to Access to Information (PAIA) Act to access the ‘classified’ records.<\/p>\n Steenhuisen said that the lockdown in its current form is ‘destructive’, which has turned South Africans into “subjects of an authoritarian state”.<\/p>\n “Level 4 of the lockdown, as it turns out, is hardly different from Level 5. In fact, in many respects it is more restrictive, not less,” Steenhuisen said.<\/p>\n “This wasn’t progress towards a more open society and economy at all. It was simply an extension of the hard lockdown – this time with no final deadline in sight.”<\/p>\n Economic importance<\/strong><\/p>\n Economists and private sector have warned of the devastating effects that a continued lockdown will have on the country’s economy and employment.<\/p>\n If level 4 continues for a month, with a gradual move to lower levels, the economy will contract 14.5% in 2020.<\/p>\n A swift move to level 2 would reduce the contraction to 10% and cut the number of formal sector jobs at risk from 2 million to less than half that.<\/p>\n At level 2, 97% of the workforce is allowed to work.<\/p>\n Business for SA (B4SA) has stated that quickly moving South Africa to a level 2 lockdown will save over one million jobs, while still allowing people to keep safe and follow Covid-19 health protocols.<\/p>\n A Sunday Times report on B4SA\u2019s statement said the group is in constant talks with the government on allowing people to go back to work.<\/p>\n It noted that companies and employees can take responsibility for \u201cimplementing stringent health and safety controls\u201d when returning to their places of work.<\/p>\n The current lockdown approach, which has been at level 5 and level 4, \u201cis economically impractical and hard to regulate\u201d, it said.<\/p>\n \u201cThis could have dire socioeconomic and health consequences.”<\/p>\n Under level 4, many businesses are prevented from opening. As a result, employees are sitting at home without pay \u2013 waiting for UIF contributions to help them pay the bills.<\/p>\n
\n