QUESTION: What can I buy from a retailer, wholesaler or spaza shop?

Items for sale include:

- Any food product, including non-alcoholic beverages and animal food. The in-store sale of cooked hot food is still prohibited
- All children's clothing
- Winter clothing for adults
- Bedding
- Personal ICT equipment including computers, mobile telephones and other home office equipment.

QUESTION: Is alcohol on sale?

No.

QUESTION: Will cloth masks become compulsory in South Africa post-lockdown?

Maybe. South Africans may be compelled to use cloth masks when using any form of transport when the national lockdown is set to lift at the end of April, according to a draft document by the Presidency.

Among the various proposals in the 27-page document, including the restriction of inter-provincial travel and the continued closure of hotels and restaurants, are that the use of cloth masks will become compulsory on all modes of transports. Hand sanitisers must also be made available, and all passengers will be required to sanitise their hands before using any form of transport. 

Public transport will be required to be sanitised every single day, and will be allowed to operate at limited capacity. 

QUESTION: What are the 7 biggest interventions in President Cyril Ramaphosa's R500bn coronavirus support package?

Ramaphosa announced an unprecedented R500 billion social and economic support package to mitigate the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Tuesday evening.

The stimulus package comes to some 10% of the country's GDP.

Speaking in a televised address to provide an update on a special Cabinet meeting held last week, Ramaphosa said R130 billion of the amount will be supported by reprioritising funds from South Africa's existing Budget, with Finance Minister Tito Mboweni set to announce the adjustment budget in due course.

The rest would need to be funded externally, the president said. National Treasury has had engagements with the New Development Bank, the World Bank, IMF and the African Development Bank.

The support package includes seven major interventions.

QUESTION: Can I get my children back home if they are in another province?

Yes. BUT - there are exceptions. For instance, persons issued with a permit to perform essential services or parents in possession of a court order granting them permission to cross borders may collect their children.

QUESTION: Does a lockdown fine mean I get a criminal record?

Yes. Do not risk breaking the lockdown regulations or you may just end up with a criminal record. If you do, you could very well be jeopardising your future job prospects or a chance of relocating abroad. Paying an admission of guilt fine will most likely brand you as having a previous conviction.

QUESTION: What could happen after lockdown? Stay-away threat, and medical masks worries

According to a leaked draft document, there could still be restrictions after lockdown, even if some rules are relaxed; union representing 15 000 nurses threatens a mass stayaway; and concerns over medical masks stocks.

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: 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.