The DA has repeated its calls for the lockdown to end swiftly, warning that it was causing irreparable damage to the country’s economy. Reacting to President Ramaphosa’s latest address to the nation, DA leader John Steenhuisen said: “The DA repeats our warning that if government doesn’t end this lockdown, the people will end it for them.”
While the country waited in anticipation for President Cyril Ramaphosa to address the nation after 20 days – his address was a confusing disappointment as he announced that a move to level three was still being consulted on.
He announced that his government was in consultation with stakeholders to move the country from level 4 of the lockdown to level 3, which will see a significant increase in economic activity from June.
Ramaphosa said at least 80 000 South Africans could have been infected by the novel Coronavirus and the death toll due to the global pandemic could have been eight times higher in the country had the lockdown not been implemented.
The president and his National Coronavirus Command Council (NCCC) appear to have shrugged off attempts the DA and industry bodies in various economic sectors and some academics to immediately lift the lockdown. They argued that the lockdown had achieved its goal of buying the country time to prepare the health system, and its continuation would collapse the economy.
But Ramaphosa said his government would continue with its risk-adjusted strategy of opening the economy.
Some areas of the country – especially metros – would remain under level 4, because they were the epicentres of the virus while most of the country will be moved to level 3.
“In the coming days, we will also be announcing certain changes to level 4 regulations to expand permitted business activities in the retail space and e-commerce and reduce restrictions on exercise,”
he said, in his latest address to the nation.
The president announced that the number of people infected by COVID-19 had jumped to 12074 with 219 deaths recorded. This was a sharp increase of 724 new cases since yesterday.
Ramaphosa reiterated that lifting the lockdown abruptly would leak to an uncontrollable surge in new infections.
“The best current estimate is that, without the lockdown and the other measures we have taken, at least 80,000 South Africans could have been infected by now. And the death toll could have been at least eight times higher than it is,” he said.
“By contrast, at a similar stage in the progression of the disease, the United States had recorded over 22,000 deaths and the United Kingdom over 19,000 deaths. We should never forget that the purpose of the lockdown was to delay the spread of the virus and prevent a huge surge of infections,” he added.
