The Editor’s Desk: Was lockdown a mistake (and should insurers pay for it)?

The decision to impose lockdown has come in for a lot of criticism these days, especially as the economic costs of the lockdown continue to mount. In this episode, Felicity Duncan and BizNews editor Jackie Cameron discuss the rationale behind lockdown, looking at the accuracy of Covid-19 predictions and the lingering effects of the virus. They ask whether lockdown was the right call or a tragic error. They also take a look at the hottest story of the week – business interruption insurance. As hundreds of South African businesses try to claim for their losses due to Covid-19 closures, insurers have been trying to get themselves off the hook. This episode looks at what insurers are saying, what the courts are saying, and what is likely to happen to these claims.