As more South Africans tested positive for Covid-19 – 34 new cases, almost all among people recently returned from abroad, bringing the total to 150 – health minister Zweli Mkhize says he estimates between 60% and 70% of South Africans will get Covid-19, about 20% of whom will be serious cases.

He expected cases to exceed 200 by this morning.

He told doctors in Pretoria yesterday that thousands of South Africans would need to be tested every day, though at present the country’s capacity was about 5 000 per day. This would increase to 15 000 by next week, and to more than 30 000 by mid-April.

Meanwhile, the government imposed strict regulations to halt price hikes on sought-after goods, from toilet paper, masks and sanitizers to flour, pasta, sugar and long-life milk.  

The new regulations under the Disaster Management Act were signed into effect by Minister of Trade and Industry Ebrahim Patel to forbid retailers from hiking prices for a list of goods by more than the increases in the cost to produce these products, or hiking profit margins to above the average mark-ups between December and March.

Retailers flouting the regulations face fines of up to R1 million or 10% of turnover, and up to a year’s imprisonment.

The products include toilet paper, hand sanitizer, facial and surgical masks, disinfectants and cleaners, surgical gloves, antiseptic liquids, all-purpose cleaners, baby formula, disposable nappies, bleach, cooking oils, wheat flour, rice, maize meal, pasta, sugar, long-life milk, canned foods, fresh or frozen meat, chicken and fish, and bottled water.

Suppliers must also ensure the ‘equitable distribution’ of goods to consumers and customers, including small businesses, and must also maintain adequate stocks of goods.

News24 reported that prices for private medical services relating to the testing, prevention and treatment of the coronavirus would also be covered by the new regulations.

In other virus-related news in South Africa:

  • The Reserve Bank’s monetary policy committee cut the repo rate by 100 basis points, or one percentage point, from 6.25% to 5.25%, to help arrest the economy’s downward spiral. South Africa is already in recession, and the fall-out from business disruption due to the coronavirus crisis will be significant, Fin24 reported;
  • Trade Minister Ebrahim Patel said the government was working with retailers to ensure a strong food supply chain
  • The University of Cape Town confirmed that a second staff member had tested positive for the coronavirus, while Stellenbosch University said a staff member had tested positive. The University of the Western Cape closed its campus after a staff member tested positive yesterday;  
  • Virgin Active closed a second gym in Joburg after a member tested positive.

Globally:

  • China reached a key milestone with no reports of new domestic cases, but Asian countries reported a second wave of infections from people returning home;
  • America’s Trans States Airlines announced it was closing nine months earlier than planned, becoming the second airline to fall victim to the coronavirus outbreak after British airline Flybe;
  • Nigeria issued a travel ban on citizens from 13 countries worst hit by the virus;
  • Australia and New Zealand closed their borders to non-residents;
  • Italy, the worst-hit European country, decided to extend its week-long lockdown beyond the 3 April deadline. Italy’s death toll – 3 405 – now exceeds China’s. Italy has 33 190;
  • The BBC reported that Donald Trump called himself a ‘war-time president’ as he enacted powers to ‘ramp up production of vital medical supplies’;
  • Britain decided to close dozens of London Underground stations;
  • Chief Brexit negotiator for the European Union Michel Barnier (69) announced he had the virus, but said he was ‘as well as I can be, strictly confined to my home’;
  • Spain said yesterday deaths from the coronavirus had risen about 30% in 24 hours, to 767, and confirmed cases by 25%, to 17 147;
  • The English Football Association (FA) extended the 2019-20 professional football season indefinitely, with leagues and competitions suspended until 30 April; and
  • The BBC launched plans for a virtual church service on Sunday mornings across local radio in England.

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