Minister of Health Dr Zweli Mkhize has said that the county’s economy will open up even further, as he believes the surge of COVID-19 cases in the country is over.
Speaking to members of Parliament on Wednesday [September 2], the Minister said there are more than 240 health care workers who have died while battling the virus, and more than 31 000 were infected by COVID-19. Luckily, the surge appears to be over as fewer cases are being reported.
With the surge over, the economy can open more. Mkhize added that the opening of the economy is to benefit the workers who form the backbone of the economy more than big businesses.
#ListenToTheDoctor
We have come a long as a country fighting Covid-19, but it is not over, says Dr Luthando Solinjani, clinical manager at Alex CHC. pic.twitter.com/q86a70oGCy— Dr Zweli Mkhize (@DrZweliMkhize) September 3, 2020
“At the time if we did not do the lockdown, South Africa would be worse than it is today. The reality is that we have done the best in the situation. You must stop politicising the matter. Yes, we must rebuild the economy,” said Mkhize as reported by IOL when asked about delaying the opening of the economy by Democratic Alliance (DA) party member Lindy Wilson.
“When we opened the economy it was not about the big business, it was about the people who are the backbone of the economy.”
Minister of Social Development Lindiwe Zulu also informed MPs that her department received more than eight-million applications for the R350 unemployment grant. Five-million of these have been successfully processed.
Picture: Twitter