A look at stories which have been trending with Barbara Friedman

Pieter De Villiers Som Adisa

Globally confirmed Covid-19 cases reached over 3 and a half million cases more than 247 thousand deaths – 1.13 million people have recovered.

• 447 new confirmed cases of Covid-19 bringing the total to 6783.

• 8 further deaths bring the death toll to 131.

• 2549 people have recovered from Covid-19 and 245 747 tests have been conducted.

• the Western Cape had recorded 3113 COVID-19 infections, deaths 58 and recoveries are 833, with 113 people currently in hospital and 38 in ICU. Tests conducted in the province at over 43 thousand.

• Japan is set to approve an experimental antiviral drug

• Inida reported its highest single-day spike in cases

• As did Russia, with 10,633 new cases confirmed in a 24 hour period.

• Nations confront the possibility that reopening may be harder than locking down

• US secretary of state Pompeo asserts ‘enormous evidence’ ties the virus to a Wuhan lab, a claim not backed yet by U.S. intelligence.

• A global backlash builds against China over the coronavirus outbreak

Kieno speaks to Khusela Diko, spokesperson of the President, on criticism of government's lockdown regulations.

Kieno speaks to Mitch Ilbury founder- director Growing Foxes

Kieno speaks to  Peter Bruce Columnist

YPO Africa business leaders announced the creation of the Lead COVID-19 Response.

The goal is to create tangible, concrete solutions to community, health care, and business challenges that will ultimately impact millions of Africans across the continent in a scalable way. Located across 18 African countries, many of YPO’s 900 chief executives have launched COVID-19-linked projects. Lead COVID-19 Response will help foster collaboration to unite these efforts by framing them into 11 Key Pillars, with two co-chairs coordinating action on each one.

Kieno joined by Riel Malan Co-Founder and MD of Unlimited Group and a YPO member

The Western Cape's restaurants, bars, and retailers are in serious trouble. But you can

help save them with CapeTalk's Save your Fave's initiative. That coffee shop or hair

salon; the nail bar or the laundromat; that restaurant or sweet shop that cannot operate

during the lockdown. Now they need you more than ever. CapeTalk and Dineplan are giving you a chance to save them from shutting down in this difficult period, one voucher at a time.

Kieno joined by Peter van Deventer MD of Papillon Enterprises

Journalist & author of "The President's Keepers"Jacques Pauw first alerted us to the

connection between Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma and cigarette manufacturer Adriano

Mazzotti whose company Carnilinx was complicit in fraud, money laundering and tax

evasion.

The links between the 2 raised many eyebrows when she announced that legal cigarette

sales will be prohibited despite President Ramaphosa announcing it would be allowed

under level restrictions . The ban on the sale of alcohol and tobacco products had so far

cost the fiscus about R1.5 billion in lost tax revenue while cigarette smugglers are

making millions off the illegal sale of tobacco.

Kieno speaks to Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga