President Ramaphosa says Ministerial Advisory Committee has recommended SA urgently implement further restrictions to limit the increase in infections
President Cyril Ramaphosa addresses SA on developments in the country’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic. Picture: GCISIt has been some time since we last held a family meeting. When I last spoke to you, exactly two months ago, SA was recovering from a deadly second wave of coronavirus infections.
The provinces of the Free State, the Northern Cape, the North West and Gauteng have reached the threshold of a third wave of infections. It may only be a matter of time before the country as a whole will have entered a third wave. As a result, infections are surging again. The increase in daily cases is following the same trajectory as it did at the start of the previous two waves.The Ministerial Advisory Committee on Covid-19 has therefore recommended that the country urgently implement further restrictions to limit the increase in infections.
Several important measures remain in place. It remains mandatory for every person to wear a face mask that covers their nose and mouth at all times when in public spaces. It is a criminal offence not to do so. Funerals remain restricted to no more than 100 people, and, as before, night vigils, after-funeral gatherings and “after-tears” gatherings are not allowed.
Sometimes it is unavoidable to be in contact with other people, such as at work or when shopping or in public transport. We must remember that the virus does not move from place to place by itself; it relies on the movement of people. The less we travel, the less the virus is spread. If each of us makes this effort now, we will help to flatten the curve of infections. We will reduce the pressure on our hospitals, and, in doing so, we will save many lives.
These health workers received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, which only requires a single dose. Since the evidence shows that older people are at a far greater risk of severe Covid-19 illness and death, we have prioritised the elderly for this second phase. The positive experiences of the rollout so far reflect both the dedication and professionalism of our healthcare workers, and the intense preparation that has gone into ensuring that the rollout is successful.
A significant number of the elderly have encountered difficulties in registering on the Electronic Vaccine Data System. This is due to lack of access to the tools need to register online, such as a computer, internet access or mobile phone, or difficulties following the instructions in English. All of the vaccines that are approved for use in SA are safe and effective. They have carefully been tested in large trials and subjected to a rigorous approval process by the SA Health Products Regulatory Authority and by a number of health authorities around the world.
The scheduled delivery of the Johnson & Johnson vaccines has however been delayed due to regulatory issues related to lack of adherence to proper standards at a manufacturing plant in the US. We are waiting for these issues to be resolved before the first batch of Johnson & Johnson vaccines can be released from the facility in Gqeberha in the Eastern Cape.
Our reliance on the Pfizer vaccine for now has affected the pace at which we are able to open vaccination sites. Due to the properties of the Pfizer vaccine which requires an ultra-cold supply chain, inclusion of smaller sites and sites in more rural areas is limited. When the Johnson & Johnson vaccine has been cleared, it will be much easier to administer. It is a single dose vaccine and can be stored in a normal fridge.
We are also part of the global effort to ensure that all countries have access to sufficient vaccines as a matter of urgency.
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