Govt must start planning for extended lockdown – DA

The Democratic Alliance (DA) wants the government to start planning for an extended lockdown against the Covid-19 outbreak, which could see an overhaul of the entire annual budget tabled earlier this year.

This was because government services would need to be reconfigured to adapt to the new reality brought about by the deadly coronavirus which had infected more than 1,200 and killed three in South Africa.

Yesterday, early payouts for some grant recipients saw a slight return to life at various shopping centres as ATM, supermarket and Post Office queues were lined with the elderly and disabled.

South African Post Office acting CEO Ivumile Nongongo said in addition to grant payouts for South African Social Security Agency (Sassa) beneficiaries, the only other service the Post Office would be opened for this week was the delivery of medicines for the department of health and pharmacies.

DA leader John Steenhuisen said the next few weeks would test the government’s ability to operate in a crisis and urged the need to prepare for an extended lockdown period.

“We will to continue to have areas where it is not possible for people to self-quarantine. We have seen our first case in Khayelitsha, which is not good news, because it means it is going to spread in an area where it is densely populated,” said Steenhuisen.

“I think there are far more people infected with the Covid-19 virus than the picture we are having.

“We had the whole relocation of people from the urban to the rural areas and there are not enough public facilities to take the extra burden.”

Water and sanitation would have to be prioritised to provide the necessary hygiene remote and poor areas, he said.

“Budgets needed to be restructured to deal with healthcare and other essential services in order to provide for emergencies,” he said.

– simnikiweh@citizen.co.za

For more news your way, download The Citizen’s app for iOS and Android.