Pretoria – Statistics South Africa (Stats SA) on Monday announced that its ISIbalo House headquarters had been temporarily closed after a staffer tested positive for the novel coronavirus.
Due to the Covid-19 case, Stats SA had changed the venue for the release of its Quarterly Labour Force Survey (QLFS) on Tuesday, it said.
“Statistics South Africa (Stats SA) head office, ISIbalo House, has been closed temporarily after a staff member tested positive for Covid-19.
"All primary and secondary contacts will be traced and managed as per department of health guidelines. ISIbalo House will be closed while the building is disinfected and deep-cleaned,” said the organisation.
“As the building will not be accessible, the Quarterly Labour Force Survey: Quarter 1 2020 media conference scheduled for Tuesday will now be held at the Department of Environmental Affairs’ Environment House in Arcadia (east of Pretoria CBD).”
Earlier on Monday, President Cyril Ramaphosa warned that South Africa faced tough economic times ahead due to the fallout from the Covid-19 pandemic, saying it would take a long time for output to return to pre-pandemic levels.
In his weekly newsletter, Ramaphosa said even the public sector would not be spared from the negative consequences of a nationwide shutdown of economic activity aimed at slowing down coronavirus infections.
Ramaphosa said as South Africa's economy found itself in the throes of the anticipated fallout from the global health crisis, the predictions of businesses shutting down and jobs being lost were materialising.
"Last week a number of companies announced plans to retrench staff," he noted.
"From aviation to construction, from entertainment and leisure to hospitality, companies have indicated their intention to retrench staff because of heavy losses incurred over the past three months.
"In other cases, businesses are closing permanently. Small businesses whose turnover has been wiped out will be even harder hit."
"For a country such as ours, which was already facing an unemployment crisis and weak economic growth, difficult decisions and difficult days lie ahead," the president added.