Just the other day, the South African state of Zambia reported an increase in COVID-19 cases as KK became ill (he died today at the age of 97). Kenya, on the other hand, is experiencing another wave, just as South Africa is (third wave of coronavirus in SA). The disease has crippled the health systems of many African states. The African continent is depending on outside countries to help it with vaccines such as J&J and Pfizer to help contain the virus.
Covid-19 in SA and what Ramaphosa has said
The President of SA announced in a nationally televised address that the surge in Covid-19 in the state poses a great danger to its health system. The 7-day rolling average of daily new cases in South Africa has nearly doubled in the last 14 days, rising from 6.69 per 100,000 people on May 31 to 12.71 per 100,000 people on June 14, according to Johns Hopkins University.
The pandemic has hit South Africa the most on the continent, with over 1.7 million infections and 57,000 deaths, accounting for approximately 40% of all known cases.
Ramaphosa says:
“Over the last week, we have recorded an average of 7,500 daily infections and hospital admissions due to COVID over the last 2 weeks, fifty-nine percent higher than in the preceding 14 days. The average number of people who die from COVID each day has increased by forty-eight percent from 535 two weeks ago to 791 in the past seven days. Our priority is to ensure there are enough hospital beds, health workers, ventilators, and enough oxygen to give the best possible care to every person who needs it. “
Measures the SA government announced
The South African government has increased the nighttime curfew from 10 p.m. to 4 a.m. and limited the number of religious meetings to 50 people. The government also said that the maximum number of individuals who can attend social events is 50 for indoor events and 100 for outdoor ones. From Monday to Thursday, the retail sale of alcohol will be allowed only between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m.
What about vaccinations in South Africa?
The new measures come as South Africa struggles to maintain a vaccination program that global vaccine shortages have hampered and the announcement this week that over 1.5 million doses of the Johnson & Johnson (J & J) vaccine must be discarded owing to factory contamination in the United States.
Johnson & Johnson had promised to deliver over 1.5 million single-shot doses by the end of this month (June), but that deadline is now in jeopardy following a recent ruling by the US Food and Drug Administration that a large number of J & J vaccines were contaminated due to a problem at a factory producing a vaccine component.
Johnson & Johnson dosages have been administered to approximately over 400,000 South African healthcare professionals. People aged 60 and up are getting inoculated with Pfizer vaccine doses. The South African health ministry has given about 1.5 million people the Pfizer vaccine. According to Cyril Ramaphosa, South Africa is to get over 3 million Pfizer doses by the end of June.
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