THE COUNTRYWIDE national lockdown has served its purpose and it is now time to open the economy, Lionel October, the Department of Trade and Industry told Parliament on Friday.
October said South Africa’s economy, like many others across the globe, will no doubt contract quite seriously as a result of the impact of COVID-19.
A large part of the economy is expected to reopen as the country moves to level three of the lockdown next month, he told MPs.
The country eased the lockdown, imposed on March 27, from level five to level four on May 1, allowing certain businesses to resume operations.
Despite the rapid spread of the pandemic, there have been growing calls for further easing the lockdown to level three, which will allow more businesses to reopen and greater movement of people.
On Thursday, South Africa reported 1,134 new confirmed COVID-19 cases, the highest daily record since
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