Business for South Africa (B4SA), a new umbrella business body formed to help fight Covid-19, has called on the government to move the economy to lockdown level 2, as a matter of urgency.
According to Hilary Joffe, writing in the Financial Mail, the body has told the government that the current sectoral approach to opening up the economy is impractical and difficult to regulate.
B4SA has proposed that companies, in partnership with labour, take responsibility for ensuring workplaces are safe and precautions are taken to protect staff.
Modelling from B4SA, according to Joffe, showed that if the lockdown remained at level 4 for another month the economy could contract by 14.5% in 2020. A more rapid move to level 2, would see a contraction of 10%. At level 2, B4SA estimates that 97% of the country’s workforce would be able to return to their jobs.
Growing numbers of commentators and analysts are now saying that an extended lockdown will have worse consequences for public health than the threat of Covid-19, as businesses collapse and people lose employment.