The SA Daily
27 March 2020
COVID-19 taking a toll
Shireen Darmalingam
- Social distancing and lockdowns across the globe are in place now to contain the COVID-19 pandemic; over two-thirds of the global economy face mobility restrictions. SA now has 927 confirmed cases. No deaths have yet been recorded, but concerns are rife regarding how the country is going to flatten the curve. Day 1 of SA’s three-week lockdown kicked into gear at midnight last night to curb the outbreak and prevent what may otherwise be a deeper humanitarian and economic crisis.
- SA was quick to take its cue from other countries that have stringent measures in place to curtail the spread of the virus and prevent an exacting death toll. The COVID-19 pandemic has now claimed 24,090 lives globally. Italy’s death toll is 8,215 and climbing, with Spain not far behind at 4,365 deaths. Spain has seen a dramatic increase in fatalities in the first 21 days of deaths being recorded, at 2,311. This is more than double Italy and China at day 21. The pandemic has severely disrupted life in China, Spain and Italy, compelling those governments to take urgent measures to save lives and protect their respective economies.
- COVID-19 is already taking a steep toll on SA, with now far more cases in just 21 days after confirmation of the first infection than was the case for some other countries (Germany, France, US, UK). However, the SA death toll curve can flatten only if citizens adhere to the recent restrictions implemented by the SA government. We’re nevertheless unlikely to escape a contraction in GDP growth this year; we pencil in -5.0%. As for the human impact, that could be far greater if this pandemic starts running wild.
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