CORONA VIRUS (COVID-19) NEWS SOUTH AFRICA:
NATION WIDE "LOCKDOWN" DECLARED BY PRESIDENT CYRIL RAMAPHOSA
Nuus.News Article Summary:
Breaking News: the President of South Africa, Mr Cyril Ramaphosa has just declared South Africa in a Nation-wide 21-day “Lockdown”.
All non-essential services companies have to close down from Friday 27 March 2020. All South African citizens locked down will be confined to their houses, and only allowed to move out of their houses to buy the necessary food or to go to seek medical help with doctors.
A list of essential service businesses and personnel that will be allowed to function during this period will be announced in due course.
Nuus.News Watch: President Cyril Ramaphosa declares a nation-wide Lockdown for South Africa
Below is a transcript of the Nation Address President Cyril Ramaphosa made in response to the corona virus situation in South Africa, regarding a nation wide lockdown. Have alook at the details (with category headings supplied by Nuus.News for reading ease)
World Health Organization declares Corona Virus a global pandemic
My fellow South Africans, it is a week since we declared the Corona Virus Pandemic a National Disaster and announced a package of extraordinary measures to combat this grave public health emergency.
The response of South African people to this crisis has been remarkable. Millions of our people have understood the gravity of the situation we are in most South Africans have accepted the restrictions that have been placed on their freedoms and their lives and have taken responsibility for changing their behaviour. I am heartened that every sector of society has been mobilized and has accepted the role that it needs to play from religious leaders to sporting associations, from political parties to businesspeople, from trade unions to traditional leaders, from NGOs to public servants, every part of our society has come forward to confront this national challenge. Many have had to make difficult choices and sacrifices but all have been determined that these choices and sacrifices are absolutely necessary if our country is to emerge stronger from this disaster.
Over the past week South Africans have demonstrated their determination their sense of purpose the sense of community and their sense of responsibility. For this we salute you and we thank you on behalf of the nation I would also like to thank the health workers of our country our doctors, nurses and paramedics who are on the frontline of the pandemic, as well as our teachers, border officials police and traffic officers and all other people who have been leading our response since the national state of disaster was declared.
We put in place a range of regulations and directives: these regulations have restricted international travel, prohibited to gatherings of more than 100 people closed schools and other educational institutions and restricted the sale of alcohol after 6:00 p.m. we reiterate that the most effective way to prevent infection is through basic changes in individual behavior and hygiene.
We’re therefore once more calling on everyone to wash hands frequently with hand sanitizers or soap and water for at least 20 seconds, stop shaking hands. Cover your nose and mouth when coughing and sneezing with a tissue or flexed elbow avoid close contact with anyone with a cold or flu-like symptoms. Everyone must do everything within their means to avoid contact with other people staying at home avoiding public places and cancelling all social activities is the preferred best defense against the virus.
Modeling of coronavirus' future spread shows unsustainable infections unless drastic measures are teken
Over the past week as we have been implementing these measures the global crisis has continued to deepen. When I addressed the nation last Sunday there were over a hundred and sixty thousand confirmed covid-19 cases worldwide today there are over three hundred and forty thousand confirmed cases across the world. In South Africa the number of confirmed cases has increased six-fold in just eight days from sixty-one cases to 402 cases. This number will continue to rise it is clear from the development of the disease in other countries and from our own modeling that immediate swift and extraordinary action is required. If we are to prevent a human catastrophe of enormous proportions in our country our fundamental task at this moment is to contain the spread of the disease. I am concerned that a rapid rise in infections will stretch our health services beyond what we can manage and many people will not be able to access the care that they need. We must therefore do everything within our means to reduce the overall number of infections and to delay the spread of infection over a longer period what is known as flattening the curve of infections. It is essential that every person in South Africa should adhere strictly and without exception to the regulations that have already been put in place and to the measures that I am going to announce this evening.
Nationwide lockdown announced by President Cyril Ramaphosa
Our analysis of the progress of the epidemic informs that us that we need to urgently and dramatically escalate our response. The next few days are crucial without decisive action the number of people infected will rapidly increase from a few hundred to tens of thousands and within a few weeks to hundreds of thousands. This is extremely dangerous for a population like ours which has a large number of people with suppressed immunity because of HIV and TB and high levels of malnutrition. We have learned a great deal from the experience of other countries those countries that have acted swiftly and dramatically have been far more effective in controlling the spread of the disease. As a consequence the National Coronavirus Command Council has decided to enforce a nationwide lockdown for 21 days with effect from midnight on Thursday the 26th of March. This is a decisive measure to save lives of South Africans from infection and save the lives of hundreds of thousands of our people. While this measure will have a considerable impact on people’s livelihoods, on the life of our society and our economy the human cost of delaying this action would be far far greater.
The nationwide lockdown will be enacted in terms of the disaster Management Act and will entail the following:
1. from midnight on Thursday 26th March until midnight Thursday the 16th of April.
2. All South Africans will have to stay at home.
3. The categories of people who will be expected exempted from this lockdown are the following
a. health workers in the public and private
b. sectors emergency personnel those in security services such as the police traffic officers military medical personnel soldiers and other persons necessary for our response to the pandemic
c. it will also include those involved in the production distribution and supply of food and basic goods
d. essential banking services
e. the maintenance of power water and telecommunication services
f. laboratory services and the provision of medical and hygiene products A full list of essential personnel will be published in due course
g. Individuals will not be allowed to leave their homes except under strictly controlled circumstances such as to seek medical care by food medicine and other supplies or collect a social grant.
4. Temporary shelters that meet the necessary hygiene standards will be identified for homeless people size are also being identified for quarantine and self isolation for people who cannot self isolate at home.
5. All shops and businesses will be closed except for pharmacies laboratories banks essential financial payment services including the JSE.
6. Supermarkets petrol stations and health care providers companies that are essential to the production and transportation of food, basic goods and medical supplies will remain open. We will publish a full list of the categories of businesses that should remain open.
7. Companies whose operations require continuous processes such as furnaces underground mine operations will be required to make arrangements for care and maintenance to avoid damage to their continuous operations firms that are able to continue their operations remotely should do so
8. Provision will be made for essential transport services to continue including transport for essential staff and for patients who need to be managed elsewhere
South Africa Cornoavirus lockdown needed to stop transmission in society
The nationwide lockdown is necessary to fundamentally disrupt the chain of transmission across society. I have accordingly directed the South African National Defence Force to be deployed to support the South African Police Service in ensuring that the measures we are announcing are implemented.
Screening for covid-19 to increase
This nationwide lockdown will be accompanied by a public health management program which will significantly increase screening testing contact tracing and medical management. Community health teams will focus on expanding screening and testing where people live, focusing first on high density and high-risk areas. To ensure that hospitals are not overwhelmed a system will be put in place for centralized patient management. For severe cases and decentralized primary care for mild cases.
Emergency water supplies
Emergency water supplies using water storage tanks, water tankers, boreholes and communal stand pipes are being provided to informal settlements and rural areas.
Travel restrictions increased to halt corona virus being imported into SA
A number of additional measures will be implemented with immediate effect to strengthen prevention measures. Some of these measures are
1. that South African citizens and residents arriving from high-risk countries will automatically be placed under quarantine for 14 days.
2. non South Africans arriving on flights from high-risk country we prohibited a week ago will be turned back
3. international flights to Lanseria Airport will temporarily be suspended international travelers who arrived in South Africa after ninth March 2020 from high-risk countries will be confined to their hotels until they have completed a 14 day period of quarantine
Solidarity Fund www.solidatiryfund.co.za) created to combat economic recession
Fellow South Africans our country finds itself confronted not only by a virus that has infected more than a quarter of a million people across the globe, but also by the prospects of a very deep economic recession that will cause businesses to close and many of our people to lose their jobs. Therefore, as we marshal our every resource and our every energy to fight this epidemic working together with business, we’re putting in place measures to mitigate the economic impact both of this disease and our economic response to it. We are today announcing a set of interventions that will help to cushion our society from these economic difficulties. This is the first phase of the economic response and further measures are under consideration and will be deployed as needed these interventions are quick and targeted.
1. Firstly we are supporting the vulnerable following consultation with social partners we have set up a Solidarity Fund which South African businesses organizations and individuals and members of the international community can contribute to.
2. The fund will focus efforts to combat the spread of the virus, help us to track the spread, care for those who are ill and support those whose lives are disrupted.
3. The fund will complement what we are doing in the public sector.
I’m pleased to announce that this fund will be chaired by Miss Gloria Serobe and the Deputy Chairperson will be Mr. Adrian Eindhoven. The fund has a website www.solidarityfund.co.za and anyone can begin to deposit funds into this account from tonight acting in solidarity with South Africans who are vulnerable. The fund will be administered by a reputable team of people drawn from financial institutions accounting firms and government. It will fully account for every cent contributed and will publish the details on the website. It will have a board of eminent South Africans to ensure proper governance to get things moving. Government is providing seed capital of 150 million rand and the private sector has already pledged to support the fund with financial contributions. In the coming period we will be spending money to save lives and to support the economy in this regard we must applaud the commitment that has been made in this time of crisis by the Rupert and Oppenheimer families of 1 billion rand each to assist small businesses and their employees affected by the corona virus pandemic.
Regulations against unjust price hikes during the national lockdown
We are concerned that there are a number of businesses that are selling certain essential goods at excessively high prices this cannot be allowed and this cannot go on. Regulations have been put in place to prohibit unjust price hikes to ensure shops maintain adequate stocks of basic goods and to prevent people from panic buying. It is important for all South Africans to understand the supply of goods remains continuous and supply chains remain intact. Government has had discussions with manufacturers and distributors of basic necessities such as food and other necessities who have indicated that there will be a continuous supply of these goods. There is therefore no need for stockpiling of any items. A safety net is being developed to support persons in the informal sector whose businesses will suffer as a result of this shutdown. More details will be announced as soon.
Coronavirus Support framework for ongoing Government Grants
As we have completed the work of assistance we will put those in place to alleviate congestion at payment points, old-age pensions and disability grants will be available for collection from 30 and 31st March 2020, while other categories of grants will be available for collection from the 1st of April 2020. All channels for access will remain open including ATMs, retail, points of sale devices, post offices as well as cash pay points.
Aid to coronavirus affected businesses
Secondly we are going to support people whose livelihoods will be affected adversely we’re in consultation on a proposal for a special dispensation for companies that are in distress because of covid-19. Through this proposal employees will receive wage payment through temporary employee relief scheme called TRS which will enable companies to pay employees directly during this period and avoid the retrenchment . Any employee who falls ill through exposure at their workplace will be paid through the Compensation Fund.
Commercial banks have been exempted from provisions of the Competition Act to enable them to develop common approaches to debt relief and other necessary measures. We have met with all major banks and expect that most banks will put measures in place within the next few days. Many large companies that are currently closed have accepted their responsibility to pay workers that are affected. We call a large businesses in particular to take care of their workers during this testing period. In the event that it becomes necessary we will utilize reserves within the unemployment insurance fund system to extend support to those workers in SMEs and other vulnerable firms who are faced with loss of income and whose companies are unable to provide support. Details of these will be made available within the next few days.
South African Revenue Services Coronavirus assistance
Thirdly we are assisting businesses that may be in distress using the tax system we will provide a tax subsidy of up to 500 Rand per month for the next four months for those private-sector employees earning between six thousand five hundred under the employee tax incentive. This will help over four million workers in our country. The South African Revenue Service will also work towards accelerating the payment of employment tax incentive reimbursements from twice a year to monthly to get cash into the hands of compliant employee employers as soon as possible. Tax compliant businesses with a turnover of less than 50 million will be allowed to delay 20% of their pay-as-you-earn liabilities over the next four months and a portion of their provisional corporate income tax payments without penalties or interests over the next six months. This intervention is expected to assist over seventy five thousand small and medium enterprises. We are exploring the temporary reduction of employer and employee contributions to the Unemployment Insurance Fund and employer contributions to the Skills Development Fund.
The Department of Small Business Development and IDC’s Corona contribution
The Department of Small Business Development has made over five hundred million rand available immediately to assist small and medium enterprises that are in distress. Through a simplified application process the Industrial Development Corporation has put a package together with the Department of Trade and Industry and Competition of more than three billion rand for industrial funding to address the situation of vulnerable firms and to also fast-track financing for companies critical to our efforts to fight the virus and its economic impact.
The department of Tourism pledge to coronavirus stricken tourism enterprises
The Department of Tourism has made additional 200 million rand available to assist small medium enterprises in the tourism and hospitality sector who are under particular stress due to the new travel restrictions we have imposed. I want to make it clear that we expect all South Africans to act in the interests of the South African nation and not in their own selfish interest we will therefore act very strongly against any attempts at corruption and profiteering from this crisis.
National Prosecuting Agency measures against corruption
I’ve directed that special units of the National Prosecuting Agency be put together to act immediately and arrest those against who we find evidence of corruption. We will work with the judiciary to expedite cases against implicated persons and make sure that the guilty do go to jail.
Coronavirus News: Impact on South Africa’s Financial Sector
South Africa has a safe sound well regulated and resilient financial sector since the global financial crisis we have taken steps to strengthen the banking system including increasing capital improving liquidity and reducing leverage with a strong financial sector and deep and liquid domestic capital markets we have the space to provide support to the real economy. We can make sure money flows to firms and households, we can ensure that our markets are efficient. Last week, in line with a constitutional mandate that the Reserve Bank has, it cut the repo rate by 100 basic points this will provide relief to consumers and businesses with the lower interest rate. The South African Reserve Bank has also proactively provided additional liquidity to the financial system. The governor has assured me that the bank is ready to do whatever it takes to ensure the financial sector operates well during this very difficult time. The banking system will remain open. The JSE will continue to function. The National payment system will continue to operate and the Reserve Bank and the commercial banks will ensure that the banknotes and coins remain available.
The cost of NOT acting now will be far greater than acting later (or too late)
The action we are taking now will have lasting economic costs but we are convinced that the cost of not acting now will be far much greater. We will prioritize the lives and the livelihoods of our people above all else and we’ll use all of the measures that are within our power to protect our people from the economic consequences of this pandemic. In the days weeks and months ahead our resolve, our resourcefulness and our unity as a nation is going to be put to a test as never before I call on all of us one and all to play our part and our role as South Africans to be courageous to be patient and above all, to show solidarity and compassion to one another. Let us never despair despite the challenges that our country is facing now for we are a nation of one and we are surely going to prevail. May God protect our people. Africa God do bless South .
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