WITH the number of Covid-19 infections surging in Gauteng, and almost certain to spread to other provinces in similar numbers, drastic action was required to stem the tide before public healthcare services were overwhelmed.
Unwelcome though it was, President Cyril Ramaphosa's placement of the country on level 4 lockdown was therefore hardly unexpected.
However, the unintended consequence of trying to prevent people from dying of infection is the loss of jobs, particularly in the hospitality and tourism sectors, which may place them at risk of dying of hunger instead.
And the job losses could not come at a worse time.
People already struggling to make ends meet will also be forced to deal with a slew of hikes in the prices of everything, from utilities to food and fuel.
The government has announced that it is contemplating extending the R350 for the unemployed, but, realistically, how far can R350 go in a family of even just four?
Once again it will be up to the NGOs and the myriad informal community organisations set up ad hoc in past lockdowns to ensure the poor among us do not starve to literally step up to the plate.
Along with the emergency services and healthcare workers putting themselves at risk while the rest of the country shelters indoors, these are the real, unsung heroes of the pandemic and should be afforded all necessary government assistance.
This should include the removal of all red tape preventing them from rendering their invaluable service, and the application by the Denis Hurley Centre to be granted registration centre status should be granted expeditiously.
The centre ‒ NB, not the government ‒ has recognised that the homeless, without access to the internet and many without identity documents, will be unable to register for vaccination, placing themselves and those they come into contact with at risk of infection.
In Johannesburg, a parallel healthcare service has been created to serve the community of Lenasia in their homes, reducing the burden on government facilities.
There are surely many other examples of similar initiatives we are unaware of.
But as much as we laud these efforts, we can all take even more laudable action by taking sensible precautions and not placing ourselves at risk of infection, lest one of the caskets being stockpiled be reserved for us.
The Independent on Saturday