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A general view of liquor for sale on December 03, 2020 in Durbanville, South Africa. It was reported the National Coronavirus Command Council (NCCC) has recommended the restriction of alcohol sales amid fears of a second COVID-19 surge . Picture: Gallo Images/Jacques Stander
The alcohol industry has released a statistical analysis to support their argument that the reduction of trauma admissions during the Covid-19 coronavirus lockdown could not be primarily attributed to the banning of alcohol.
The analysis sought to draw attention to other factors, including curfew, which has been mainly cited, to be considered and not for the focus to be on alcohol, saying it was not the only thing on which restrictive measures were imposed during the lockdown.
Data shows that booze bans don t work, says drinks industry SA s drinks industry is worth about R101bn to the country s GDP. File photo. Image: Sebabatso Mosamo
SA’s drinks industry wants the government to reconsider future alcohol bans on the grounds that bans do not work but instead put livelihoods at risk.
The industry’s call comes in the wake of new data published on Thursday that claims there is no evidence the alcohol bans implemented during lockdown worked to reduce the number of trauma admissions to hospitals or that they curbed the spread of Covid-19.
“You have to be extremely careful making the claim for causality,” said independent data expert Ian McGorian who, along with Prof Mike Murray from the University of KwaZulu-Natal School of Mathematics, Statistics and Computer Science, conducted the analysis.
[LISTEN] School Delays Will See Dropout Rate Soar
Jan 19, 2021
Professor Labby Ramrathan from the University of KwaZulu-Natal School of Education says there is no clear indication whether learners will return to school this year after failing to return to the classroom after last year’s lengthy closures.
South Africa’s school drop-out rate have been of concern for years, with millions of learners dropping out before finishing Grade 12.
At least 15% of learners did not return when schools reopened last year after lengthy closures, and education experts fear they will not return at all.
Speaking to Radio Islam on Tuesday, Professor Ramrathan says there are many challenges in getting learners back to school.
On Friday, December 11, the Global Development Policy (GDP) Center co-hosted a webinar with the South Centre on ‘Guaranteeing Access to Medicines: Reforming Trade and Investment Treaties in the COVID-19 Era,’ featuring Carlos Correa, Executive Director of the South Centre; Mustaqeem de Gama, Counsellor at the South Africa World Trade Organization (WTO) Mission; Dr. Martin Howell Friede, Unit Lead on Vaccine Research in the Department of Immunization, Vaccines and Biologics, World Health Organization (WHO); Yousuf Vawda, Professor & Senior Research Associate at the University of Kwazulu-Natal School of Law; and Deborah Gleeson, Senior Lecturer at La Trobe University. The webinar was moderated by GDP Center Director, Kevin P. Gallagher.