COVID-19 in numbers

Written by Allison Cooper

Vuk’uzenzele shares figures that have so far defined the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) experience and intervention made by the South African government in partnership business, religious groups and non-profit organisations.

• R356 million: The amount paid out by the Unemployment Insurance Fund by 9 April.
• 11 000: The number of water storage tanks delivered to communities in need, across the country, by 9 April.
• R2.2 billion: The amount raised by the Solidarity Fund by 9 April.
• 154: The number of shelters accommodating the homeless.
• 42 percent: The average daily increase in COVID-19 new cases in South Africa, in the two weeks before the lockdown.
• 4 percent: The average daily increase in new cases in South Africa since the start of the lockdown.
• 20 000: The number of cellphones donated by Vodacom for health workers that will be involved in screening and tracing in communities.
• 100: The Reserve Bank initially reduced the interest rate by 100 basis points, making it easier for consumers and companies to access credit. It later reduced it by another 100 basis points.
• R6 500: The Employment Tax Incentive was expanded to include all employees earning below R6 500, giving them a subsidy of R500.
• R50 million: Businesses with a turnover of less than R50 million are allowed to delay their PAYE tax payments over the next four months, and their provisional corporate income tax payments over the next six months, without penalties.
• R500 million: The amount allocated by the Department of Small Business Development to assist small and medium enterprises.
• R3 billion: The amount allocated by the Industrial Development Corporation for funding for companies that produce essential goods.
• R1 billion: The South Africa Future Trust was established to provide a further R1 billion in zero-interest loan funding to small and medium enterprises in distress.
• R30 billion: The Unemployment Insurance Fund created a Temporary Employer/Employee Relief Scheme, with over R30 billion to provide income support to workers where employers are unable to pay their full salaries.
• 60: Government launched 60 new mobile lab units to increase South Africa’s testing capacity, increasing the number of mobile testing units to 67.
• R1.2 billion: The amount ringfenced by the Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development for assistance, to mainly target financially distressed small-scale farmers.
• 200 000: On 7 April, the Motsepe Foundation and associated companies, Business for South Africa and the Solidarity Fund secured critical stock of 200 000 three ply masks, 100 000 KN95 masks and sterile gloves and surgical masks for use by frontline doctors, nurses and healthcare workers.
• 80 085: The number of tests conducted in South Africa by 12 April.
• 6.1 percent: The figure that the South African Reserve Bank expects the gross domestic product to contract in 2020, compared to the -0.2 percent expected in late March.
• 235: The number of community development centres where 40 841 food parcels were distributed between 3 and 10 April.
•  24 000: About 24 000 members from the South African Police Service, South Africa National Defence Force, Metro Police and other law enforcement agencies where deployed to be at the helm of the COVID-19 battle and to ensure that people stay at home.
• 5: The date in March that the National Institute for Communicable Diseases confirmed the first case of COVID-19 in South Africa.
• 50:  50 is the number of mourners allowed at a funeral. Currently, no gatherings are permitted.
• 14: On 9 April, President Cyril Ramaphosa extended the lockdown by another 14 days, until the end of April.
• 114 711: The number of COVID-19 tests conducted in South Africa by 19 April.
• 54: The number of COVID-19 deaths reported in South Africa by 19 April.

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