21 days to go - President extends lockdown by 2 weeks

To some extent it was expected, but President Cyril Ramaphosa's announcement that the national lockdown will be extended by two weeks will still come as a shock to a nation already reeling from the economic fallout of the coronavirus.

Only hours before the clock ticked over to Good Friday,  Ramaphosa said that with the number of deaths and infections rising each day, the government had little choice but to extend the lockdown.

In his televised address on Thursday night, Ramaphosa said  there were 1,934 confirmed cases in the country. More 

The Eastern Cape recorded its first death on Thursday. A retired nurse died in the early hours of the morning at Livingstone Hospital in Port Elizabeth.

The woman had attended a funeral in KwaDwesi. Three Covid-19 cases are linked to the funeral that took place before the lockdown started.

Ramaphosa said there was sufficient evidence to show the lockdown was working, but if government ended the lockdown too abruptly, the country would risk  an “uncontrollable resurgence” of the virus. we risk the gains we have made.

“But I am asking you to endure even longer. We have to make great sacrifices  so we can survive. After careful consideration, we have decided to extended the national by further two weeks. Most of the existing measures will remain in place,” he said.

“We will use the coming days to embark on risk-adjusted measures. We will ramp up our public health measures. We are mindful of the great and heavy burden this will impose on you, we are keenly aware of the  impact on the economy. But unless we can hold this course for a little longer, the coronavirus will consume our country.”

He said all South Africans wanted a return to normal life, but “our immediate priority is to slow down spread of virus”.

“Our strategy is made up of three parts. The first is an intensified public health response. The second is a comprehensive package of economic support measures. Thirdly, a programme of increased social support for poor and vulnerable households will be rolled out.”

Screening and testing in provinces would be increased in the coming weeks.

The CSIR will also monitor  coronavirus statistics, including screening and testing, isolation and hospitalisation.  

On the economy, Ramaphosa said in addition to stimulus programmes designed to rescue businesses, the government has prioritised R1.2 billion for small-scale farmers and to ensure food supply.

Ministers and provincial premiers are also taking a one-third cut from their salaries to donate to donate the Solidarity fund.

But the SA Reserve Bank has already warned that SA's economy could shrink between 2% and 4% in 2020, but as much as the economic impact was hurting the country, the government was focused on saving lives and curbing the spread of the virus.  

Border-Kei Chamber of Business executive director Les Holbrook said the extended lockdown would be devastating for business.

“When the lockdown was announced, people took it a measure to contain the virus. Now it will be extremely difficult for business. Companies are already struggling to pay their staff wages and rentals, and they have been looking for business relief,” Holbrook said.

“Come the end of April, I think it will come down to a situation of no work no pay.”

Holbrook said if the pandemic had arrived eight years ago, SA could possibly have lived with the economic fallout. This was not the case now, however.

“For some companies it will be the death knell. Some will survive and come out stronger on the other side, but not all."

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