Ahead of the President's address to the nation we note the growing agreement on a gradual return to economic activity & we respectfully put forward the following questions, requests & suggestions which should be addressed in his speech: #Day28ofLockdown https://www.da.org.za/2020/04/crucial-questions-need-answering-around-lockdown

We request clarity on the revised down estimate of SA Covid deaths to 45 000 over the next 2-3 years, from an earlier estimate of 120 000 to 150 000 fatalities. We need to understand if this new estimate factors in a series of lockdowns or is the estimate before interventions.

If the latter, then this revision profoundly impacts SA’s optimal response to this pandemic. A death rate of 45 000 over 2-3 years is broadly in line with SA’s current murder rate and Easter road death rate, neither of which have elicited hard lockdowns in response.

We request clarity around Prof Salim Karim’s comments stating, “I think we’ve already reaped the benefits of the lockdown. I’m not sure how much more the lockdown can help us.”

We request implementation of a policy of mandatory cloth masks for all, in all public places. At least 3 free masks should be provided free to all those who are unable to afford masks - the cost of which would be a fraction of the cost to SA of a single day of hard lockdown.

We suggest that a suppress-release approach on alcohol availability should be used to relieve pressure on hospitals. This could be generalised or localised depending on circumstances.

We suggest that all sectors should have a set of social-distancing protocols in place specific to their context, before re-opening, and all businesses should be required to complete a workplace risk assessment and mitigation form.

As the economy opens up public transport will be a central nexus of human interaction. 3 criteria are crucial:

- Everyone on public transport to be masked
- Everyone on public transport to sanitize hands on entrance & exit
- Public transport vehicles to be sanitized regularly

We call for the immediate lifting of all activities listed in our Smart Lockdown document, which includes any business with an acceptably low transmission risk.

We request transparent, reliable and up-to-date reporting of key Covid-19 response data. In particular, we request national, provincial and area-specific data around cases, testing, hospital load/capacity and implementation of economic stimulus measures.

We believe this to be an entirely reasonable request, given the massive sacrifice South Africans are making to slow the spread and minimise the impact of this disease. Only with this information can we know how best to respond. #Day28ofLockdown - @jsteenhuisen