Analysts have welcomed the 50-billion-rand Covid social relief measures of the total 500-billion-rand economic support packages announced by President Cyril Ramaphosa. Ramaphosa announced that Government will implement a six month Coronavirus special grant to curb food insecurity and to assist distressed communities through increased social grant funding over the next six months. The President further indicated that 130-billion-Rand will be reprioritised in the current national budget towards support measures to mitigate the effects on the Coronavirus pandemic

As the COVID-19 death toll edges closer to 41-thousand in the United States with 765-thousand cases, small protests have sprung up in several states against stringent lockdown or stay-at home measures. Despite issuing new guidance on measures to reopen economies in a systematic step-by-step basis, President Donald Trump has cheered on protests against social distancing measures in some states run by Democratic Governors.

Corruption and ill discipline may cost Kenya 28,000 (TWENTY EIGHT THOUSAND) lives, the country's Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe has warned. From holding private house parties during the designated curfew period to bribing police officers manning the quarantine institutions, Kagwe warned that a section of Kenyans have not internalised the seriousness of COVID-19 and their seeming reckless behavior is now undermining efforts to containing the deadly viral disease. Kenya has over 280 confirmed cases of COVID 19.

Residents of Eersterust, East of Pretoria, have appealed to government to speed up the process of delivering food parcels, as the number of families going to bed hungry continues to grow. Some members of the community say despite submitting their names early this month, no assistance has come from the City of Tshwane municipality.

Residents of Lawley in the south of Johannesburg have taken to the streets in anticipation of being addressed by Gauteng Human Settlements MEC, Lebogang Maile and City of Johannesburg Mayor, Geoff Makhubo. The pair are expected to visit the area this afternoon after community members were allegedly evicted during the course of the week despite the country being under national lockdown.

Increasing the child support grant for six months is a quick and effective measure to ease the plight of vulnerable South Africans that have been negatively affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. This is the view of various NGOs and academics, who have suggested alternative ways in which government can provide immediate relief to citizens battling with a loss of income and food shortages during the extended lockdown. While government, together with the Solidarity Fund, have distributed food parcels across the country amidst reports of growing hunger, the efficacy of this system has been questioned

The Eastern Cape Health department has conducted a mass screening and testing campaign at Majola village in Port St Johns. This after six people tested positive for Covid-19. It's alleged that they were part of more than hundred people, who attended a funeral at the village, over three weeks ago. One of those who tested positive for Coronavirus is a female prison warder from East London's Correctional facility.

The Gauteng Social Development Department has been inundated with calls and requests for food parcels from hungry citizens. According to media reports - at least 7,000 requests for food parcels have been received in a day. The demand and high call volumes resulted in the call centre shutting down. The department has, however, emphasized that there is a strict criteria in place for allocating food parcels.

Health Minister Zweli Mkhize has conducted door-to-door Covid-19 screening in Ermelo, Mpumalanga. Accompanied by the MEC for Health, Sasekani Manzini, Mkhize interacted with volunteers conducting the screening, health workers and also visited a Covid- 19 ward at Ermelo hospital

Although Alliance partners - the ANC and the SACP - have welcomed Finance Minister Tito Mboweni's latest statement that South Africa would not consider any international funding that would be accompanied by a structural adjustment programme, COSATU remains sceptical. Last month, Mboweni announced that the country will approach the IMF for relief as a result of the financial crisis brought on by the Covid-19 pandemic. However, the tripartite alliance issued a strong worded statement - saying this would lead to the sovereignty of the country and its policy direction being compromised by conditions attached to the loans.