Lockdown restrictions eased as Covid-19 cases steadily decline
We have a look at what made news headlines this week in our Covid-19 round-up.
The country is making progress in its fight against Covid-19, with the Department of Health announcing that more than 17-million vaccine doses have been administered. We take a look at what transpired this week.
An influential group of Gauteng doctors is adamant that this year’s Rage event should not be allowed. A group of 282 GPs, who make up the Gauteng General Practitioners Collaboration (GGPC), say they saw first-hand the increased spread of the coronavirus when 848 cases were traced back to last year’s event.
Read more on this here: ‘Ballito Rage should not continue’ say Gauteng doctors
The debate on whether or not to receive the Covid-19 vaccine took centre stage this week when a religious group approached the Constitutional Court, in an urgent bid to have the President and the Cabinet interdicted from making Covid-19 vaccination compulsory.
South Africa’s Deputy President, David Mabuza, in his capacity as the chairperson of the Inter-Ministerial Committee (IMC) on Covid-19 vaccines, has debunked the myth that the vaccine kills. He also assured people that medical experts have thoroughly tested and have found the vaccine to be safe and effective in preventing severe Covid-19 illness.
President Cyril Ramaphosa addressed the nation last night (September 30) and announced the country will move to adjusted alert level 1. President Ramaphosa stated that for the country to reach its goal of vaccinating 70% of the population by the end of the year, it needs to administer a further 16-million vaccine doses by the end of December.
It was further announced that the Department of Health (DoH) will soon be rolling out a vaccination certificate, which will provide secure and verifiable proof of vaccination. This will be used to facilitate travel, access to establishments and gatherings, and other forms of activity that require proof of vaccination status.
Read more here: Alcohol restrictions ease as South Africa moves to adjusted alert level 1
As of September 30, 1 678 new Covid-19 cases have been identified in South Africa, which brings the total number of laboratory-confirmed cases to 2 902 672. This increase represents a 4.1% positivity rate.
As per the National Department of Health, a further 101 Covid-19 related deaths have been reported, bringing total fatalities to 87 626 to date.
The total number of Covid-19 vaccines administered in the country now stands at 17 505 358, with 146 190 jabs administered in the past 24 hours.
