South Africa’s Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) has given out R3.3 billion (about US$180 million) to 1.5 million workers as relief payment for loss of income during the nationwide coronavirus pandemic lockdown, a senior official said on Tuesday.According to Tourism Minister Mamoloko Kubayi-Ngubane, the UIF received over 100,000 applications from employers representing 1.75 million workers requesting the funds for their employees following government’s stay-at-home order during the five-week lockdown.

The payments are meant to help the workers to take care of their needs during a period when they have no income due to the lockdown that started on 27 March.

The lockdown, which is expected to be eased starting this week, was put in place to contain the pandemic since its outbreak in South Africa in the first week of March.

So far some 93 South Africans have died from 4,996 confirmed cases of the virus since its outbreak in the country, Health Minister Zweli Mkhize said on Tuesday.