Covid-19: Lockdown restrictions eased and government prepares to receive millions of vaccines

President Cyril Ramaphosa addressed the nation on 1 February regarding developments in relation to the country’s response to the coronavirus pandemic. The address follows meetings in recent days of the National Coronavirus Command Council (NCCC), the President’s Coordinating Council (PCC) and Cabinet.

Vaccine distribution plans

Ramaphosa said that today the country received one million doses of the Covid-19 vaccine developed by AstraZeneca. “The arrival of these vaccines contains the promise that we can turn the tide on this disease that has caused so much devastation and hardship in our country and across the world.”

He thanked all the South Africans who participated in trials for vaccines and all the scientists and researches who have been part of groundbreaking research to provide new information about the virus and a new variant. The vaccines will be tested at the National Control Laboratory to confirm that their integrity has been maintained during the trip from India to South Africa. After testing, they will be distributed across the country to healthcare workers who have risked their lives to save others.

“In accordance with our phased roll-out strategy, developed through the interministerial committee lead by the deputy president [David Mabuza], all healthcare workers in the public and private sectors will be prioritised for vaccination.”

Ramaphosa said that 200 facilities have been identified from which the vaccine can be distributed. “Once we have completed the vaccination of health workers, we will move to Phase 2. This will include essential workers, people over 60 years old, people with comorbidities as well as those living in places such as nursing homes and hostels. In Phase 3, we will extend the vaccination programme to the rest of the adult population.”

He acknowledged that many South Africans will be questioning how they will be able to receive the vaccine. He said that the Department of Health has developed an electronic vaccine data system to streamline the vaccine registration and roll-out process. He said that this system will allow a person to arrange an appointment as soon as they qualify for vaccination at a centre closest to them.

“We are sourcing our vaccines from a number of supplies. In addition to the one million Covishield doses that we have received today [1 February], we expect another 500 000 doses from Serum Institute of India to arrive later in February. We have secured 12 million vaccines in total from the global Covax facility which has indicated that it will release approximately two million doses by March.”

The government has secured a further nine million doses from Johnson and Johnson with delivery expected in the second quarter. Pfizer is also set to deliver 20 million doses in the second quarter. “We are in advanced discussions with manufactures to secure additional supplies. South Africa will also receive an allocation of vaccine doses through the African Union which has been engaging with manufacturers to supply vaccines for the entire continent through a pooled basis.”

He added that various entities in the private sector will be donating vaccines. “A considerable amount of work has been done with the private sector and I am pleased that there is a considerable commitment from the private sector.”

He said that the aim is to receive enough doses to achieve herd immunity, also known as population immunity. Ramaphosa added that scientists estimate, in order to reach herd immunity, 67 per cent of the population will need to be vaccinated which equates to about 40 million South Africans. “We will leave no stone unturned in order to ensure that enough vaccine doses are secured to reach population [herd] immunity in our country.”

Ramaphosa said that the vaccines the country will be receiving have gone through meticulous processes including large trials with thousands of people. These trials also help to identify side effects and safety concerns. “The vaccines that we are procuring have been shown to be safe in large clinical trials across multiple countries.”

He said that the aim is to make the vaccine available to all adults in South Africa regardless of their citizenship or residence status and the government will be putting processes in place to deal with undocumented residents.

“It is in the best interest of us all that as many of us receive the vaccine as possible. I want to be clear, nobody will be forced to take the vaccine. Nobody will be forbidden from travelling where they want to, enrolling at school or taking part in a public activity if they have not been vaccinated. Nobody will receive the vaccine against their will.”

Easing of lockdown restrictions

Ramaphosa said that there has been a dramatic decrease in the number of new Covid-19 cases reported each day. The number of hospital admissions has also fallen. Ramaphosa said, “While restrictions are temporary, loss of life is permanent. Nevertheless, we know that the measures necessary to contain the spread of the virus have caused great hardship and difficulty for people. We are acutely aware that these restrictions have negatively affected businesses… we are determined that restrictions should not be continued longer than is absolutely necessary.”

He said that the cabinet has decided to steadily decrease lockdown restrictions as a part of adjusted Level 3. These include:

• The curfew will be from 11pm to 4am
• Establishments, where people go for entertainment, will need to close by 10pm to allow customers and staff to return home by the curfew time.
• Faith-based gatherings will be permitted subject to health protocols. They may not exceed 50 people for indoor venues and 100 people for outdoor venues. No more than 50 per cent of the venue capacity may be used.
• Beaches, dams, rivers, parks and public swimming pools will be open subject to health protocols.
• The sale of alcohol by licensed premises for off-site consumption will be permitted from Mondays to Thursdays from 10am to 6pm. Duty-free shops, registered wineries, wine farms, microbreweries and microdistilleries will be able to sell alcohol for off-site consumption during their normal licensed operating hours.
• The sale of alcohol by licensed premises for on-site consumption such as restaurants and taverns will be permitted throughout the week from 10am to 10pm.

“I want to call on all of us to drink responsibly so that we do not experience a spike in trauma cases or an increase in infections due to reckless behaviour. As we ease restrictions once again, the responsibility on each and every one of us as individuals becomes even greater.” He said that the number of new cases is still high and there is the danger of another resurgence.

Some safety measures will remain in place

There will still be a number of safety measures which will continue in adjusted Level 3. These include:

• Social gatherings, political events, traditional council meetings and gatherings at sports grounds will not be permitted. This does not include religious gatherings and funerals and other limited exceptions as detailed in the regulations, such as restaurants, museums and gyms.
• Funerals may not be attended by more than 50 people, and there needs to be social distancing, hand sanitising and mask-wearing.
• It remains compulsory for every person to wear a mask in a public space.

“Even as we roll out the vaccination programme throughout the year and as we steadily work to reduce the number of new infections, we will need to continue to observe careful precautions to reduce transmission. This is particularly important as the new variant of the virus – 501Y.v2 – is now widespread across the country.

“We know that it is more infectious than the earlier strain and is therefore far more likely to drive another resurgence of infections and increase the demand on our health facilities.”

Ramaphosa also paid tribute to Cuba, which has sent more than 3 700 medical professionals around the world in order to assist in the fight against Covid-19 vaccine. As such, the South African Cabinet has approved a proposal to nominate the Henry Reeve International Contingent of Doctors Specialised in Disaster Situations and Serious Epidemics, or as they commonly are known, the Cuban Medical Brigade, for the 2021 Nobel Peace Prize.

“We extend our sincerest gratitude to the people of Cuba for this great demonstration of solidarity and humanity. Like so many people around the world, we have suffered tremendous loss and endured great sacrifices. Our lives have changed in profound ways, and we have been forced to adapt to a new and difficult circumstance.

“Now, thanks to the heroic efforts of our healthcare workers, the tireless work of our scientists, the bravery of all our frontline workers and the determination of each and every South African, we can finally imagine a world where the virus has been brought under control.”

He concluded, “It is up to all of us to bring that world into being. It is up to us not to let down our guard, and to prevent a third wave of infections. It is up to us to protect ourselves, our families and our communities. It is up to us to get vaccinated as soon as we are eligible and stop the virus from spreading further. Above all, it is up to all of us to keep the flame of hope alive, to remain determined in our commitment to one another and to our country. Together, we will recover and rebuild.”

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