QUESTION: Can I be evicted during the lockdown? 

No. Government has made it clear that no one may be evicted during the lockdown. 

QUESTION: Could a measles vaccine help in the fight against Covid-19?

Months into the pandemic, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has published a list of 70 vaccine candidates, with three of those already in the first phases of clinical evaluation.

In one of these efforts, France’s Pasteur Institute is working on making use of a modified measles vaccine to trick the body into producing antibodies against the new coronavirus, according to a report.

The Pasteur Institute is renowned for their fight against infectious diseases, having come up with remedies against a number of diseases, including typhoid fever, tuberculosis, yellow fever and HIV.

QUESTION: What are my options when it comes to paying my domestic worker or gardener during the lockdown? 

During these uncertain times, South Africans have a lot to grapple with. Not only are most people worried about their health and safety, but also about their livelihoods.

Unfortunately, many people face getting short-paid, temporarily laid-off or even losing their jobs in a few weeks’ time.

Understandably, you are worried about how you will be able to afford to pay your domestic worker, nanny or gardener at this time. We asked Advocate Kaiel Grobler of LAW FOR ALL for advice. 

QUESTION: Is it legal to ban alcohol sales?

Yes. The Disaster Management Act explicitly states that the sale of alcohol can also be suspended or limited once a state of disaster has been declared.

Government has warned South Africans that alcohol weakens the immune system.

Fact-checking organisation Africa Check has found that this is indeed the case. Africa Check confirmed with several experts, who cited extensive research, that alcohol affects the immune system, weakening the body's defence against respiratory infections and that long-term alcohol misuse makes people vulnerable to respiratory infections.

The research further shows that most South Africans who use alcohol are binge drinkers. There also is some evidence that moderate alcohol consumption is harmless in specific circumstances, but the available research is not clear on how much alcohol a person can consume without damaging their immune system.

QUESTION: Can newborns be registered on medical aids without birth certificates?

Yes. News24 spoke to representatives from three major private medical aid providers to find out how registering newborns as dependants works. A birth certificate is not needed - the hospital will provide proof of birth to your medical aid. 

QUESTION: Do separated/divorced parents have visitation rights?

Yes. Separated or divorced parents, who have shared custody of their child or children, will now have visitation rights if they have a court order or birth certificate, the amended regulations of the nationwide lockdown state. 

QUESTION: Can I buy cooked food during the lockdown? 

No. Government specifically outlawed the sale of hot cooked food on Monday, with the Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, issuing a new regulation to that effect.

The new regulation stipulates that any food - but "excluding cooked hot food" - may be sold during the national state of disaster due to Covid-19.

QUESTION: What is Covid-19 contact tracing and how does it work? 

Contact tracing, when combined with physical distancing, has proven to be a powerful asset in controlling the spread of Covid-19.

It's a term we have become familiar with again since the outbreak of the novel coronavirus, but what does contact tracing entail and how is it carried out? 

News24 spoke to an expert. 

QUESTION: Who can I call if I have a complaint against the police?

The Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) has issued emergency numbers for complaints against the police during the Covid-19 lockdown. IPID's services are still ongoing during the lockdown, spokesperson Sontaga Seisa said.

A limited number of investigators are on standby in all nine provinces, and provincial management will ensure that their work continues. 

The numbers to lay a complaint against the police are: 

Eastern Cape: 082 592 9888;

Free State: 063 225 6081;

Gauteng: 076 455 5718;

Limpopo: 078 871 4811;

KwaZulu-Natal: 079 895 2741;

Mpumalanga: 072 881 4196;

Northern Cape:  064 624 8203;

North West: 078 163 6874;

Western Cape: 073 890 1269. 

QUESTION: How UIF money will help workers during lockdown?

As anxious South African workers, who are facing layoffs and loss of income during the lockdown period, await guidance on government help during this time, there is now an indication of how the Unemployment Insurance Fund will help pay their salaries.

QUESTION: Do I need to produce a document to obtain essential goods such as food and medical supplies?

You do not need a special document to leave your home to acquire basic goods, Chrispin Phiri, spokesperson of the Government Communication and Information System, confirmed to News24. 

QUESTION: Will rubbish still be collected?

QUESTION: Can I walk/jog/cycle outdoors?

The short answer is no. While government have yet to officially comment on this, the main directive of the lockdown remains the same: only leave home to undertake essential trips such as to get food, seek medical care or access supplies.

Outdoor workouts do not fall under the list of essential movements. 

QUESTION: Will public transport operate?

For the most part - no. Transport minister Fikile Mbalula has indicated that most minibus taxis (as well as Uber and Bolt) will be banned from the road during the lockdown.

Trains will be completely shut down.

Taxis – including e-hailing services - will only be allowed to operate if they are carrying passengers who are considered essential workers, and have permits to that effect from their employers.

QUESTION: What is a coronavirus?

SARS-CoV-2, which causes Covid-19, is a new strain of coronaviruses that have been around for ages.

Coronaviruses are a group of viruses that cause diseases in mammals and birds.

In humans, coronaviruses cause respiratory tract infections that are typically mild, such as the common cold, though rarer forms such as SARS, MERS, and Covid-19 can be lethal. 

Coronaviruses are believed to cause 15% to 30% of all common colds in adults and children

So, just because you may have a coronavirus, it's unlikely to be the new strain, or novel, coronavirus. 

QUESTION: A man in China died from hantavirus and the news has caused some alarm - but what is this virus?

As the world rallies against the Covid-19 pandemic, news from China involving another virus has caused alarm in some parts. According to reports from the Chinese province Yunnan, a man died a few days after he had tested positive for hantavirus.

He had been travelling back to Shandong Province for work, according to a tweet from China's Global Times.

Thirty-two more people who were on the bus, were also tested, but the results of their tests were not clear. The news has caused some panic on social media, as people speculate about the origin of the virus - drawing parallels with the coronavirus which had its first cases in Wuhan, China.

But hantavirus is nothing like the latest strain of coronavirus. 

QUESTION: What are the criteria for a suspected case of Covid-19?

Criteria for a person under investigation (PUI), according to the National Institute for Communicable diseases:

A person with acute respiratory illness with the sudden onset of at least one of the following symptoms: cough, sore throat, shortness of breath or fever [= 38°C (measured) or history of fever (subjective)] irrespective of admission status; 

AND

If the PUI, in the 14 days prior to experiencing symptoms, met at least one of the following epidemiological criteria:

Was in close CONTACT with a CONFIRMED or PROBABLE case of coronavirus infection;

OR

If the person has  a history of travel to areas with local transmission of the virus;

OR

Worked in, or attended a health care facility where patients with coronavirus infections were being treated;

OR

Admitted with severe pneumonia of unknown cause

QUESTION: What is the coronavirus hotline number? 

Clinicians can contact the clinicians' hotline number on 0800 111 131 (for doctors only); and, in addition to 0800 029 999, the public can also contact the public hotline number on 0800 111 132. These lines all operate 24 hours a day.

People don't need to call the hotline to get general information that can be obtained from the NICD's website, the health department's website, the World Health Organisation's (WHO) website or via the department's WhatsApp service. 

QUESTION: What can I do to protect myself from getting Covid-19? 

As recommended by the World Health Organisation:

Wash your hands regularly and thoroughly

Wash your hands frequently and thoroughly with soap and water or an alcohol-based hand rub.

Why do this? Soap and water or an alcohol-based rub kill viruses that may be on your hands.

Practise and maintain social distancing

Keep at least one metre of distance between yourself and a person who is coughing or sneezing.

Why do this? The virus spreads when liquid droplets are expelled through the air – when someone coughs or sneezes. In the event that you are too close, you could breathe in the droplets, which may contain the Covid-19 virus, if the person coughing or sneezing is infected.

Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth

Why do this? Your hands touch many surfaces and can potentially pick up the virus. Once your hands are contaminated, the virus can be transferred through your eyes, nose or mouth where it enters your body.

Practise respiratory hygiene

Don't cough or sneeze into your hands. Cover your mouth and nose with your bent elbow or a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Don't forget to throw away the tissue immediately.

Why do this? Droplets expelled when sneezing or coughing spread viruses.

QUESTION: Will the courts still operate during the lockdown? 

Yes. On 17 and 20 March, Chief Justice Mogoeng Mogoeng issued directives on how the courts were to operate in light of the Covid-19 pandemic. 

Although the Constitutional Court and other superior courts are presently in recess, which does not apply to the lower/magistrate's courts, all courts would notwithstanding the coronavirus pandemic, continue to operate to a limited extent to deal with urgent matters. 

The Chief Justice has, in terms of section 165 of the Constitution and section 8 of the Superior Courts Act, already delegated the authority to make customised directives to all Heads of Superior and lower/magistrate's courts. 

This will enable courts to remain open and operational to a limited extent as determined by the head of each court after consultation with their colleagues at that court. 

Broadly, the courts will, as an essential service, remain open for the filing of papers and hearing of urgent applications, bail applications and appeals or matters relating to violations of liberty, domestic violence, maintenance and matters involving children.

QUESTION: At what exact time does the lockdown begin? 

Confusion around when the coronavirus lockdown officially kicks off was rife as South Africans grappled with the semantics of President Cyril Ramaphosa's words: "...midnight on Thursday". 

Presidency spokesperson Khusela Diko cleared up the confusion."The lockdown will begin at 23:59 on Thursday evening. Therefore, day one of the lockdown will be Friday," Diko told News24 on Tuesday. 

QUESTION: What if I can't afford a coronavirus test?

While private testing at companies like Lancet Laboratories will cost you about R1 400, testing at designated government hospitals is completely free.   

These hospitals include:   

Mpumalanga: Polokwane Hospital, Rob Ferreira Hospital;

Gauteng: Steve Biko Academic Hospital, Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital and Thembisa Hospital;

KwaZulu-Natal: Grey's Hospital; 

North West: Klerksdorp Hospital; 

Northern Cape: Kimberley Hospital; 

Eastern Cape: Livingston Hospital; 

Western Cape: Tygerberg Hospital; and

Free State: Pelonomi Hospital.  

News24 previously reported that the Government Employees Medical Scheme (GEMS), which covers more than 70 000 South Africans, announced it would also pay for tests and treatments for the virus.   

As for medical aids, Discovery Health said it would cover the cost of a test only if you are found to be positive. But if the results are negative, you would have to pay for the diagnostic with medical savings.   

Remember, you should only get tested if you start to show symptoms or if you have been in contact with someone who has Covid-19, has travelled to a high-risk country, have worked with Covid-19 patients or if you have a severe case of pneumonia with an unknown cause.   

QUESTION: Will there be enough food for everyone during the lockdown?

Government has been very firm that all farms and companies involved in food production will operate as usual during the lockdown.

And remember that – unlike many other countries – South Africa produces more than enough food for itself. In fact, we export a lot of it. The only staple foods we don’t really produce is rice and palm oil, and we import about half of the wheat we use.

But wheat imports are primarily from countries where exports have not been disrupted due to the coronavirus crisis, says Wandile Sihlobo, chief economist of the Agricultural Business Chamber of South Africa.

"South Africa also imports poultry products and sunflower oil; but these are products that can be replaced by local supplies, should there be disruptions in global supply chains."

Also, agricultural conditions are looking promising for an abundant harvest of staple grains and fruit this year, which will increase the local supplies, he adds.

"South Africa has ample food supplies for 2020, and therefore, there is no need for panic buying."

QUESTION: What happens to my debt if I can't work during the lockdown? 

Government has gazetted new rules to allow banks to work together to agree on the same measures to deal with clients who face losses during the coronavirus crisis.

This will include debt-repayment holidays and debt relief, as well as restrictions on the repossession of assets of those who have fallen behind on payments.

Standard Bank has already given all of its business clients with a turnover of less than R20 million per year a debt repayment holiday of three months. They don't have to pay debt instalments until end-June, but interest and fees will still accrue during this time. Nedbank has also pledged debt holidays. 

QUESTION: What travel restrictions are being imposed?

While restrictions were placed on travellers coming in and going out of the country, President Cyril Ramaphosa has tightened these measures.

South African citizens arriving in the country will have to undergo a 14-day quarantine period.

International travellers arriving from high-risk counties will simply be turned back.

Those who landed after 9 March from high-risk countries will be confined to their hotels for a 14-day quarantine period.

QUESTION: Can I visit relatives or friends in hospital?

While hospital visiting hours have not been suspended countrywide, Netcare, one of South Africa’s largest private hospital groups, has suspended all visiting hours at its hospitals, except in specific special circumstances, as a precaution against the new coronavirus.

Netcare said the suspension applies to all general wards, intensive care units (ICUs), and high care units. Exceptions are only applicable to nurseries, neonatal intensive care units (NICUs), and in paediatrics. 

Only one parent at a time will be allowed to visit newborns, and children in paediatric units, on the condition that they are coronavirus free, and adhere to very strict infection prevention controls.

No grandparents and siblings will be allowed to visit.

QUESTION: Will ATMs and bank branches will have cash available?

Yes.

Banks will coordinate among themselves and sharing resources to ensure that banknotes are available at ATMs and bank branches, trade and industry minister Ebrahim Patel said on Tuesday.

South Africa had done "extraordinary things to enable the banking system to remain strong", he said.

QUESTION: Will I be able to order take-aways?

No. 

All restaurants, bars and coffee shops will be closed – including food-delivery services.

All major food delivery services, including Uber Eats and Mr D Food, and restaurants will have to close during the national lockdown starting on Friday, the department of tourism confirmed.

The department of tourism said essential services do not include restaurants, cafes, bars and coffee shops and they will, therefore, have to be closed for the duration of the lockdown.

All food services will be suspended.

QUESTION: Can my boss force me to take leave – and cancel my December break?

Your employer will be within in their rights to place you on forced leave during the lockdown period – and for many South Africans, that may end up being the least worst-case scenario.

Employees who won't be allowed to work during the lockdown period of three weeks, which starts on Thursday night, are to a large degree at the mercy of their employers. 

While government has encouraged all businesses to continue to pay their employees, who may be stuck at home and won’t be able to work during this time, many companies can’t afford this and are considering other options. 

QUESTION: Should I stock up on food and other essentials?  

Government has called on everyone in the country to avoid panic buying.

"We are aware that many South Africans are worried about the impact of the coronavirus on essential supplies and food in the country. As government, we are doing everything we can to ensure that we have enough food and all essentials we need.

"Government has had discussions with manufacturers and distributors of basic necessities, who have indicated that there will be a continuous supply of these goods.

"Let us be considerate and responsible to ensure that we have enough for everyone, especially the most vulnerable in our society."

QUESTION: What services will remain open?

Most shops and businesses will be closed.

The police, metro police, military and emergency services will continue to operate.

Healthcare services such as hospitals, clinics, doctors, pharmacies and laboratories will remain open.

Banks and essential financial and payment services, including the JSE will remain open.

Supermarkets will remain open so that citizens can continue to care for themselves and their families.

Petrol stations will remain open.

Companies that are essential to the production and transportation of food, basic goods and medical supplies will remain open.