The civil rights organisation AfriForum has written to Health Minister Dr Zweli Mkhize asking him to disclose coronavirus (Covid-19) information, including the protocol for reporting a death as Covid-19 death.

AfriForum says there has been limited information from government, despite President Cyril Ramaphosa’s assurance that government would be transparent about the pandemic.

AfriForum Head of Research and Development Barend Uys says that basic information about the course of the virus in the country is still not being published on a regular basis.

“Without information about the number of cases and deaths per age group, it’s impossible to calculate the most basic indicators, such as the case fatality ratio. Citizens can’t judge the prevailing conditions in the province where they live unless information about the number of tests being done there is disclosed,” Uys explained.

The organisation has also asked government to make available the approach to and execution of tracing and testing.

Specifically, AfriForum has asked the health ministry to disclose and update regularly the number of Covid-19 deaths per age group, the comorbidities of reported Covid-19 deaths, the number of confirmed Covid-19 cases per age group, the number of asymptomatic Covid-19 cases, the number of symptomatic Covid-19 cases, as well as an estimation of the reproduction number.

AfriForum also requested specific information relating to patients admitted to hospitals.

The civil rights group says the information collected by the health ministry is done on behalf of citizenry, and should therefore be disclosed to citizens in a transparent manner.