Tag: coronavirus

An interview with Raynold Tlhavani, Partner Webber Wentzel, and Dr Ivor Blumenthal, CEO, ArkKonsult, discussing business interruption insurance in the light of impact of COVID-19.

An interview with Parmi Natesan, CEO, The Institute of Directors in Southern Africa (IoDSA), and Dr Ivor Blumenthal, CEO, ArkKonsult, discussing how boards need to take the lead in steering their organisations through crisis brought about by COVID-19.

An interview with Michael Yeates, Director Employment Practice, Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr, and Dr Ivor Blumenthal, CEO, ArkKonsult, discussing the relief and assistance for employers and employees as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

An interview with Johan Olivier, Partner Webber Wentzel, and Dr Ivor Blumenthal, CEO, ArkKonsult, discussing employer responsibility with regard to the impact of COVID-19 on the workplace and employees.

An interview with John Botha, Chief Operating Officer, Global Business Solutions, and Dr Ivor Blumenthal, CEO, ArkKonsult, discussing the key aspects of President Cyril Ramaphosa's COVID-19 announcement.

With severely limited fiscal space, planned economic reforms need to be fast-tracked. South Africa is in a grip of panic over the impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The situation prompted an extraordinary address to the nation by President Cyril Ramaphosa on the evening of March 15. Apart from very real human health concerns, he commented that the outlook for the local economy – already on a weak footing heading into 2020 – is a big headache. Economic growth forecasts have been cut over the past few weeks as forecasters realise that the impact of the pandemic will be larger than previously thought. This begs the question: how will local authorities respond?

The spread of coronavirus, COVID-19, beyond China has created fresh uncertainty for the global growth outlook and sparked volatility in financial markets. Outbreaks in South Korea, Iran and Italy have raised concerns that the spread outside of China may be accelerating.

Markets are walking on eggshells as the outbreak of coronavirus disease (COVID-19), first reported from Wuhan, China in late December 2019, is wreaking economic havoc. Data from the world’s second largest economy shows a plunge in business activity in the last month, including massive declines in passenger traffic, electricity generation, shipping volumes and real estate transactions.

With thousands of cases reported, and the World Health Organisation declaring it a global health emergency, the coronavirus has been making headlines.

On 30 January 2020, the Director-General of the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared that the outbreak of the novel coronavirus (“2019-nCoV”) constitutes a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) and issued advice as Temporary Recommendations (TR) under the International Health Regulations (IHR).