DA welcomes adoption of Smart Lockdown plan
The DA welcomes the announcement by President Ramaphosa to control the spread of the coronavirus going forward by adopting what we have called a “Smart Lockdown” model.
This phased, risk-adjusted model, whereby restrictions are lifted as and when the data suggests it is safe, is critical to protecting precious jobs and ensuring that the livelihood of millions of South Africans is saved. The DA has called for precisely this approach in our Smart Lockdown Plan, released ten days ago. It is encouraging that we are able to cooperate in this way, and to know that we are on the same page as we face this daunting challenge.
And while we welcome this announcement, we await further details of how this model will affect the various sectors of our economy and society before we make further comments. It is important to establish absolute certainty around this new phased approach, and so the details must be clear and unambiguous. We cannot have the issue muddied by conflicting statements from various ministers.
What is also crucial is that any such a phased lifting of lockdown restrictions is accompanied by both a massive increase in testing, tracing and tracking, and the publishing of detailed and reliable data on a range of Covid-19 information which must include localised breakdowns of testing data, infection and mortality data and healthcare data such as ICU beds, ventilator availability and PPE stocks.
Without such transparent data in the public domain, it is impossible to know when, where and to what extent restrictions on activities are necessary. Sharing this data with the media and public is also critical to maintaining support and ensuring compliance with ongoing Covid-19 measures.