Lockdown diaries - COVID-19 matters!

What are you going to be doing during the lockdown?

  • At home. I’m non essential

    Votes: 70 41.2%

  • Working. The virus doesn’t scare me

    Votes: 41 24.1%

  • On standby

    Votes: 10 5.9%

  • Working from home. Too essential to take any risk!

    Votes: 66 38.8%
  • Total voters
    170
  • Poll closed .
The most accurate measure of which countries have been affected worst by covid appears in this online table. It shows a column of total covid deaths by one million population. It's updated daily and shows the true scale of the global covid pandemic.

The table can be accessed here.

https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/#countries

A few examples of Africa, Worldwide and Oceania follows.

Screenshot_20201012-081204_Chrome~2.jpg

Screenshot_20201012-081904_Chrome~2.jpg

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South Africa’s state of disaster is set to end this week – but another extension looms
https://businesstech.co.za/news/gov...nother-extension-looms/?utm_source=newsletter

The current extension will end on Thursday, 15 October. However, with the country still sitting with over 50,000 active cases of Covid-19, and over 1,000 new infections every day, it is very likely that the Dlamini-Zuma will again extend the state of disaster.
 
Covid-19 remains infectious on banknotes and other common surfaces for weeks

The new coronavirus may remain infectious for weeks on banknotes, glass and other common surfaces, according to research by Australia’s top biosecurity laboratory that highlights risks from paper currency, touchscreen devices and grab handles and rails.
https://businesstech.co.za/news/lif...anknotes-and-other-common-surfaces-for-weeks/
 
This is going to raise eyebrows !
Taxpayers to foot the bill for proposed R243 billion universal income programme in South Africa
https://businesstech.co.za/news/fin...gramme-in-south-africa/?utm_source=newsletter

An economic recovery program, which is due to be presented by president Cyril Ramaphosa this week, indicates that government is considering the introduction of a basic income-grant.

The more than 100-page document, which has been seen by Bloomberg, indicates that the introduction of a basic-income grant could cost R243 billion a year and would necessitate tax increases.
 
All the strict new Covid rules for SA companies
https://www.businessinsider.co.za/covid-19-rules-regulations-for-employers-companies-2020-10
12 Oct. 2020

"New rules have been gazetted to prevent and combat the spread of Covid-19 in South African workplaces.

Some of the new requirements include:
  • An employer who employs more than 50 employees must submit a record of its risk assessment, as well as a Covid-19 health and safety policy, to the Department of Employment and Labour by 22 October. This new direction previously only applied to employers with more than 500 employees, says Truter.
  • An employer who employs more than 50 employees must also now submit a weekly report on a number of issues (e.g. vulnerability status, screening details, testing results, high risk contacts, post infection outcomes) to the National Institute for Occupational Health.
  • For all companies, there are new requirements surrounding the return to work of an employee who has tested positive for Covid-19.
According to the new regulations, workers diagnosed with Covid-19 are only allowed to return to work (without requiring viral testing) if they have completed ten days of isolation from the onset of symptoms – but only if the employee had a mild case of infection, which didn’t require hospitalisation. If the employee had a severe case, and required supplemental oxygen or hospitalisation, they may only return 10 days from the date of achieving “clinical stability”. They may only return earlier if medical evaluation confirmed their fitness to work.


The employers must closely monitor the worker for symptoms on return to work, and the workers must wear a surgical mask for 21 days from the date of diagnosis, the new rules state.

  • There are also new periods of monitoring and quarantine for different levels of risk.
If a worker has been in contact in the workplace with another worker who has been diagnosed with Covid-19, the employer must assess that worker's exposure in accordance with the Department of Health's Guidelines to determine whether there was a high or low risk of transmission between the workers.

If there is a low-risk exposure, the employer may permit the worker to continue working using a cloth mask, but the worker's symptoms for 10 days must be monitored from the first contact.

If there is a high-risk exposure, workers must remain in quarantine for 10 days and the employer of that worker must place the worker on sick leave. If the worker remains asymptomatic, no further testing is required before he or she returns to work.

Health workers must only remain in quarantine for 7 days in case of a high-risk exposure - or with the agreement of the worker, 5 days.

  • There are more details about the dispute resolution process for employees who refuse to work.
The new regulations outline in more detail what happens if a worker refuses to perform any work “if circumstances arise which, with reasonable justification” appear to pose an “imminent and serious” risk of their exposure to Covid-19.

The employee who has refused to perform work must notify the employer of the reason for the refusal. The employer - after consultation with the compliance officer and the health and safety committee or, if there is no committee, a health and safety representative – must then endeavour to resolve “any issue that may arise” from the refusal.

If the employer disagrees with the refusal, a local government health and safety inspector must be alerted within 24 hours. The inspector must then advise the employee and the employer in resolving the issue.

No person may threaten to take any action against an employee if he or she refused to work for fear of contracting Covid-19 – and they also can’t be dismissed, disciplined, prejudiced or harassed.

If there is a dispute, the employee may refer the dispute to the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration or an accredited bargaining council."
 
South Africa’s state of disaster is set to end this week – but another extension looms
https://businesstech.co.za/news/gov...-to-end-this-week-but-another-extension-looms
12 Oct. 2020

"Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta) minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma will likely extend the national state of disaster by another month this week, as government relies on the regulations to deal with the ongoing coronavirus pandemic...

The current extension will end on Thursday, 15 October. However, with the country still sitting with over 50,000 active cases of Covid-19, and over 1,000 new infections every day, it is very likely that the Dlamini-Zuma will again extend the state of disaster..."
 
Johnson & Johnson just paused its Covid vaccine trial after an 'unexplained illness'
https://www.businessinsider.co.za/johnson-and-johnson-coronavirus-vaccine-trial-paused-2020-10
13 Oct. 2020

"Johnson & Johnson said Monday that it had temporarily halted its coronavirus vaccine trials after a participant experienced an unexplained illness, the second major setback to hit a late-stage test of a coronavirus immunization.

The pharma giant said it paused all further dosing in the trials after a participant fell ill. The pause in the trial, which is aiming to enroll 60,000 people to determine if the vaccine is safe and effective, was first reported by Stat News' Matthew Herper.

J&J said the participant's illness is being reviewed by an independent board as well as by company doctors. The company didn't share more information about the nature of the illness, citing patient privacy...

A coronavirus vaccine trial from British drugmaker AstraZeneca is facing a similar setback. In September, AstraZeneca paused the trial after a participant had a potential adverse reaction. The UK arm of the trial has resumed, though the US portion of the trial is still paused and being investigated further by the US Food and Drug Administration.

Other late-stage vaccine trials from Pfizer and Moderna are underway, and they could yield results this year.

J&J, the world's largest healthcare company, started its late-stage trial in September to determine whether the shot can prevent COVID-19. The trial is also designed to provide information about whether the vaccine is safe to administer to potentially millions of people.

The trial had initially expected to yield early results by the end of 2020. Depending on how long the trial is paused, the findings could be delayed. J&J didn't provide any information about the length of the pause."
 
Working from home? You can still be fired for drinking on the job
https://www.businessinsider.co.za/work-from-home-alcohol-drinking-drugs-substances-2020-10
12 Oct. 2020

"It may be tempting to reward yourself with an afternoon drink between Zoom sessions while working from home, but think twice before reaching for that glass while you are still on the clock, a legal expert warns.

While "WFH" has become the new normal for many as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, just because your employer may not physically be able to see you, labour laws and company policies still apply - and that includes the consumption of alcohol and drugs while on the clock, according to Aadil Patel, national head of the employment law practice at Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr.

Being drunk at work constitutes misconduct and an employee can be dismissed, however, employers must have an alcohol (and drug abuse) policy which is communicated to all its employees.

“Management is responsible for putting policies in place, not just for consumption on the premises – policies can extend to behaviour off company premises, during working hours in the event that it impacts the employee’s ability to do their job. Policies should not be limited to the consumption of alcohol, and should include any substance that prevents one from doing their duties, such as cannabis for example,” says Patel.

According to Patel, the Occupational Health and Safety Act states that “no person at a workplace shall be under the influence of or have in his or her possession or partake of or offer any other person intoxicating liquor or drugs”...
 
ARYANTO said:
This is going to raise eyebrows !
Taxpayers to foot the bill for proposed R243 billion universal income programme in South Africa
https://businesstech.co.za/news/fin...gramme-in-south-africa/?utm_source=newsletter

An economic recovery program, which is due to be presented by president Cyril Ramaphosa this week, indicates that government is considering the introduction of a basic income-grant.

The more than 100-page document, which has been seen by Bloomberg, indicates that the introduction of a basic-income grant could cost R243 billion a year and would necessitate tax increases.
Click to expand...
Daylight robbery
 
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