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1 in 2 South Africans believe they’re not at risk to contract COVID-19: HSRC survey

Informal settlement
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The Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC) says one in two South Africans believe they are unlikely to contract COVID-19. The HSRC conducted a survey on how South Africans are responding to the lockdown and to the coronavirus.

Higher Education Minister Blade Nzimande says it is worrying that some South Africans feel they are not at risk of contracting the potentially deadly virus.

Nzimande believes government needs to do more to emphasise the severity of the COVID19 infection in order to make citizens more aware and intensify efforts to safeguard against contracting the virus.

“It is indeed of concern that the study points to the fact that one in two people believe that they are low risk because it tells us we have a lot more work to do on an ongoing basis. But it is good that research is telling us that so that we know as government that we have to intensify education and for people to understand the point that everyone is almost equally at risk.”

From May 1, wearing face masks in public will be mandatory in South Africa.

Tips on how to make one are on the video below:

Respect needed

The HSRC’s Dr Priscilla Reddy has urged government to ensure that law enforcement contingents deployed during the coronavirus lockdown treat citizens with respect. She says although over 74% of the 19 000 survey participants had no interaction with law enforcement at all, 14% said they were treated in a rude and rough manner.

“There is a need to be sensitive to the major disruption in peoples lives. in order to ensure that the law is enforced they play multiple roles, this is the law enforcement officers, they play multiple roles from education and information provision to enforcement and social support, the health promotion strategy here is one of promoting behaviour change and a policy level intervention. We have to provide clear guidance and and support to people so that they are able to adhere to the regulations law enforcement should be provided with clear guidelines and support to enable them to deal with intentional violators and the risk takers,” she advises.

No money for food

Just under a quarter of South Africans the HRSC surveyed did not have money to buy food. The situation is dire in informal settlements where the researchers found that more than half of the people surveyed are impoverished.

Government has announced a string of measures to cushion both the poor and businesses from the impact of the virus.

The country is currently on level 5 of the coronavirus lockdown but will move to level-4 from the first of May. This next phase will see some industries reopen, among other things.

Below is a graph on Level 4 lockdown regulations in SA:

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Dr Reddy says participants nationwide struggled with access to chronic medication and there is a need for government to address this at a municipal level.

“About two-thirds of the participants were from townships and they had no money to buy food, approximately 13.2% of the population indicated that their chronic medication was inaccessible during the lockdown. About 13-25% of those in informal settlements and rural areas and farms indicated that the chronic medication was not easily accessible. Impoverished and remote communities continue to face barriers to healthcare access it is therefore important to re-look at primary healthcare at the municipal level; the message is take the medicines to the home,” says Reddy.

Need to stem cigarette smuggling

The HSRC survey also highlights the need for tobacco control interventions to prevent illicit trade and smuggling during the lockdown.

The ban of cigarettes will be lifted as the country moves to level 4 of the lockdown on Friday.

The HSRC survey of public perception on the impact on South Africans during the lockdown has shown that at least 12% of the 19 330 people interviewed had access to cigarettes during the lockdown.

Professor Crain Soudien from the HSRC says access to cigarettes was mainly in informal settlements.

In the video below, the HRSC report shows that South Africans are responding to the COVID-19 lockdown:

 

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