South Africa and its COVID-19 prohibition predilection (original) (raw)

Adding up the numbers: COVID-19 in South Africa

South African Journal of Science

The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has wreaked havoc globally, with over half a billion people infected and millions of lives lost. The pandemic has also interrupted every aspect of our lives, with most governments imposing various interventions and restrictions on people's movement and behaviour to minimise the impact of the virus and save lives. The debate among scholars on the effectiveness of the interventions and restrictions, particularly in the context of a developing country like South Africa, continues. The data and scientific evidence indicate that non-pharmaceutical interventions, and particularly the implementation and adherence thereto, may have been ineffective in terms of containment in the South African context and had minimal impact in stopping the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. COVID-19 epidemiological trajectory and outlook The SARS coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO) in early 2020 and has wreaked havoc globally, with over half a billion people infected and 13.3-16.6 million lives lost. 1 The South African Department of Health reported its first case on 5 March 2020. 2 Since then, and as of 30 April 2022, a total of 3 791 925 SARS-CoV-2 cases or 6314 per million people have been recorded, according to data by South Africa's National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD). 3 Whilst this number represents a significant total, it remains a substantial underestimate of the true number of infections in the country since the start of the pandemic.

COVID-19: The South African experience

Interventional Neuroradiology, 2021

The coronavirus disease-2019 pandemic affected the countries differently. South Africa is a middle-income country with a struggling economy and a resource-constrained public healthcare system. Three aspects of the pandemic in South Africa are examined, the lockdown and its effect on personal freedoms, how health care resources were used and the novel stratification of health workers into vulnerability categories. It is a perspective written after experiencing the first pandemic peak in 2020.

South Africa's response to COVID-19

Federalism and the Response to COVID-19, 2021

When the COVID-19 pandemic reached South Africa in March 2020, the country already faced severe social, economic, and political difficulties. Socially, half of the population was poor, many in the urban areas living in informal settlements, and with an unemployment rate of 30 percent. The country's economy was not growing and was in recession. Politically, the divisions in the country, between black and white, poor and rich, rural and urban, were stark. South Africa's multilevel system of government-the national government, provinces, and municipalities-was struggling to meet these difficulties. The COVID-19 pandemic made these difficulties more intense, resulting, among other things, in a more centralized system of multilevel government (Table 20.1). 20.2 COVID-19 in South Africa South Africa recorded its first Coronavirus infection on 5 March 2020. Since then, the number of infections has increased steadily, reaching a peak by June/July, before declining significantly over the next three months, but by the end of October, the infection rate spiked dramatically in some parts of the country as a second wave seemingly gathered moment. By 31 July, South Africa placed among the top five in the world in terms of confirmed COVID-19 infections with a total of 493,183 infections (Department of Health 31 July 2020). However, the number of COVID-19-related deaths remained significantly low (8,005) compared to other countries in the top five. Gauteng and the Western Cape, the two most urbanized provinces, took turns in being the epicenter of the virus. Other provinces such as North West and Northern Cape, which are generally sparsely populated, experienced low levels of infections and deaths.

COVID-19: State of Disaster in South Africa

2020

in Nigeria; six days later the South African National Institute of Communicable Diseases (NICD) confirmed the first case in South Africa. Since then, cases have increased steadily and the first death in South Africa was recorded on 27 March 2020. COVID-19 has shown its potential devastating impact elsewhere, but it is a particular cause for concern in South Africa.

COVID-19: lessons and experiences from South Africa’s first surge

BMJ Global Health, 2021

On 5 March 2020, South Africa recorded its first case of imported COVID-19. Since then, cases in South Africa have increased exponentially with significant community transmission. A multisectoral approach to containing and mitigating the spread of SARS-CoV-2 was instituted, led by the South African National Department of Health. A National COVID-19 Command Council was established to take government-wide decisions. An adapted World Health Organiszion (WHO) COVID-19 strategy for containing and mitigating the spread of the virus was implemented by the National Department of Health. The strategy included the creation of national and provincial incident management teams (IMTs), which comprised of a variety of work streams, namely, governance and leadership; medical supplies; port and environmental health; epidemiology and response; facility readiness and case management; emergency medical services; information systems; risk communication and community engagement; occupational health and ...

The South African government's response to COVID-19

Journal of Public Budgeting, Accounting & Financial Management, 2020

PurposeThis paper provides a critical analysis of the South African government's response to the COVID-19 crisis and its effect on state finances and budgets.Design/methodology/approachThe paper critically analyses publicly available data.FindingsThe South African government's initial health response was praised by the international community, given the early lockdown and extensive testing regime. The lockdown devastated an already precarious economy, which led to negative social consequences. The initial lockdown delayed the epidemic, but subsequently, the infection rate climbed, requiring new restrictions, suggesting further economic disruption. The government has had to increase its borrowings, while the future tax take is forecast to be significantly reduced, a combination which will lead to a severely constrained public purse for many years to come. This will limit the government's ability to address the basic social needs that predated the COVID-19 crisis.Originali...

South Africa social sector responses to COVID 19 Policy Brief20200415 54024 1o8qulx

Policy brief, 2020

In the coming weeks, South African policymakers will continue to make critical decisions to curb the spread of COVID-19 and reduce its economic impact. In collaboration with the National Development Agency, IDinsight prepared a brief to inform decision-making in two areas of interest for the Department of Social Development: 1) promoting healthy community behaviors, and 2) providing social protection to vulnerable populations.