SA reflects on first month of lockdown
The past month has been characterised by intensified government efforts and a solidarity among citizens to face the worldwide pandemic of Covid-19 head-on.
Today, 26 April, marks the end of the first month of the nationwide lockdown in South Africa.
Thirty days on from the first day, which was 26 March, more than 4 361 people have tested positive for the virus and some 86 people succumbed to Covid-19 in South Africa. Altogether 161 004 people have been tested for the virus.
Worldwide, close to 2,9 million people have been infected and more than 203 308 deaths were reported.
On Thursday, 5 March, the National Institute for Communicable Diseases confirmed our country’s first Covid-19 positive case.
Two days later the second case was confirmed.
On 10 March, government announced it was aiming to screen people twice at entry ports into the country.
On 14 March the repo rate was cut again with 100 points.
Banks and insurance companies announced some steps to bring relief. The President, Cyril Ramaphosa declared a State of Disaster under the Disaster Management Act on 15 March. A travel ban on foreign nationals coming from high-risk countries was announced.
Visas were cancelled or those already issued, were revoked.
Citizens were advised not to travel to the US, UK, the European Union, China, South Korea and India.
South Africans who returned were tested and had to go into self-isolation.
A total of 35 out of 53 ports of entry into the country were closed, as well as two out of eight sea ports. A National Command Council was established.
On 16 March the closure of schools from 18 March was announced.
On 17 March, 13 people had tested positive in the country.
On 18 March a tourism lockdown was announced, and on 19 March it was announced that South Africa would be in a lockdown and people would have to stay at home, with only essential services operating and essential goods allowed to be bought as from midnight, 26 March.
No inter-provincial travel would be allowed.
By 24 March, 554 people had tested positive in the country.
On 25 March some economic mitigation relief measures were announced.
The repo rate came down by 100 basis points.
On 26 March, the lockdown as we now know it, came into effect.
Since this date some relief measures were announced on travel, but the ban on selling cigarettes and liquor remained.
Some 60 mobile testing units were bought on 1 April.
On 9 April, the confirmed cases in South Africa stood at 1 934.
The National Command Council decided to extend the nationwide lockdown by a further two weeks, and lockdown measures would remain until the end of April.
An intensified public health response to slow down and reduce infections and a comprehensive package of economic support measures to assist businesses and individuals affected by the pandemic, as well as a programme of increased social support to protect poor and vulnerable households were to be announced soon.
Comprehensive community screening and testing programmes across all provinces, focusing in particular on highly vulnerable communities was announced.
On 23 April, it was announced that the country would move to level 4 on 1 May in a gradual phased recovery of economic activity.
Worldwide cases now stand at 2,9 million cases with over 185 000 deaths.
In South Africa, 75 people had succumbed to Covid-19.
On 25 April, Finance Minister Tito Mboweni outlined a comprehensive R500 billion economic relief package.
From 1 May, the range of goods that may be sold will be extended to incorporate certain additional categories.
Read more: Covid-19: Level 4 – Lockdown but with minor changes
Every business will have to adhere to detailed health and safety protocols to protect employees, and workplace plans will be put in place to enable disease surveillance. South Africans were requested to wear a face mask upon leaving their homes.
Mass screening and testing will be at the centre of the next phase.
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