NEVA MAKGETLA: Get the numbers straight, and it’s clear alcohol ban was beneficial
Revenue in some sectors may have dropped, but there were larger economic benefits of fewer Covid-19 transmissions
In the past month we have been flooded with reports about the economic costs of the ban on alcohol. Most of these stories relay sensationalised estimates of the direct costs to businesses and workers, while ignoring the much larger economic benefits of reduced Covid-19 transmission.
SA has already paid dearly for the failure to control the virus over the past year. On January 30, we ranked 15th globally in terms of diagnoses per person and 41st for diagnosed deaths. Estimates of undiagnosed deaths put SA in the top 10 internationally. On January 30, SA Medical Research Council analyses found that more than one in 500 South Africans had died due to the pandemic. Today, virtually everyone knows someone who passed away from Covid-19. ..
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