Democratic Alliance leader John Steenhuisen says as President Cyril Ramaphosa seek to address the nation, the DA has noted the growing agreement on a gradual return to economic activity and wants crucial questions to answered.
Steenhuisen says DA request the implementation of a policy of mandatory cloth masks for all in 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 South Africa of a single day of hard lockdown,” he said.
The DA leader says their smart lockdown approach suggest that all sectors should have a set of social-distancing protocols in place specific to their context.
“Before re-opening, all businesses should be required to complete a workplace risk assessment and mitigation form,” he said.
The political party also suggests that as the economy opens up, everyone who use public transport should be masked, sanitized and public transport vehicles should be sanitized regularly.
Steenhuisen also adds that Ramaphosa should consider lifting of all activities listed in DA’s Smart lockdown document which includes any business with an acceptably low transmission risk.
On the issue of transparent, reliable and up-to-date reporting of key COVID-19 response data, DA request for the provision of national, provincial and area specific data around cases, testing, hospital load and implementation of economic stimulus measures.
