Monday marked the first day of an intensified new normal for KwaZulu-Natal residents. On Sunday, premier Sihle Zikalala announced a host of strict measures meant to crack down on those defying lockdown laws. 

Zikalala said that not enough people are self-isolating after they test positive for Covid-19, and therefore it has been decided that anyone who tests positive will be “taken” to government-approved isolation sites for treatment. According to Zikalala, 54% of the province’s current Covid-19 patients are self-isolating. 

In addition, teams from the provincial health department will be accompanied by security as they do door-to-door screening and testing in eThekwini. Roadblocks, vehicle checkpoints and verifying movements at transport hubs will be intensified. Transgressors will be heavily penalised. As Desiree Erasmus writes, “hotspots” in the province will also be locked down for screening and testing.

@kzngov Premier @sziks together with @KZNTransport MEC Bheki Ntuli, @DBE_KZN MEC Kwazi Mshengu and @eThekwiniM Mayor Mxolisi Kaunda today led an intensified law enforcement operation aimed at clamping down on the illegal movement of people at eThekwini#siyayinqoba pic.twitter.com/JZGZeQbRP5

— GCIS_KwaZulu-Natal (@GCIS_KZN) April 20, 2020

The US has pledged R158-million to assist South Africa as it responds to the Covid-19 outbreak and lockdown. As Peter Fabricius writes, the money will be channelled through the President’s Emergency Plan for Aids Relief but will not take away resources from its effort to respond to Aids in South Africa. According to US ambassador to South Africa, Lana Marks, the amount pledged increases daily.

Meanwhile, a group of 160 economists and policy experts have released a policy document which recommends that government up its current rescue package from an “insufficient” R41-billion to R400-billion. Tania Broughton chatted to them about their proposal.

An infographic explaining what the Institute for Economic Justice argues government needs to spend in specific areas. (Source: IEJ)

The South African Human Rights Commission has visited the sports field in Strandfontein serving as a temporary shelter for homeless people. They found that it is overcrowded, not properly ventilated and poses a health risk. A doctor from Doctors without Borders who forms part of the team said that the living conditions threaten to increase the spread of Covid-19 at the site and they have called for urgent action to be taken to improve living conditions.

As Vincent Cruywagen reports, political tensions have bubbled over as councillors from the ANC and FF+ were denied access to the site for oversight. DM