By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
Chief of Mission at US Embassy in South Africa Todd Haskell joins acting health minister Mmamoloko Kubayi to receives 2.8 Million Pfizer vaccine doses at the OR Tambo International Airport on behalf of the SA government | Picture: Twitter.
Acting Health Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi received 2.8 million Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine doses from the US government on Saturday.
Kubayi-Ngubane was joined by deputy health minister Dr Joe Phaahla and US Embassy chief of mission in South Africa Todd Haskell at OR Tambo International Airport
The batch landed at OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg.
The doses were the first in a consignment of Pfizer vaccines donated to South Africa by the US government.
The next batch of 5.6 million doses will arrive on Tuesday, the Department of Health confirmed.
“The arrival of the first Pfizer vaccine is part of the donation from the USA government. This contribution comes timely for us as we prepare to move to the younger age cohort of 18 in September. Today’s donation contributes to security of supply to meet the demands we have to reach our set milestones and vaccinate a majority of the population soon,” said the department.
Acting Minister of Health, Mmamoloko Kubayi joined by Health Deputy Minister, Dr Joe Phaahla and Chief of Mission at US Embassy in South Africa Mr Todd Haskell Receives 2.8 Million Pfizer vaccine doses at the OR Tambo International Airport on behalf of the RSA government pic.twitter.com/TIR2uCZ3wi
— Department of Health (@HealthZA) July 31, 2021
As of Saturday, The National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD),reports 12 528 new COVID-19 cases that have been identified in South Africa, which brings the total number of laboratory-confirmed cases to 2 447 454. This increase represents a 22.3% positivity rate.
The country currently has a recovery rate of 90.8%, with Gauteng still accounting for a vast majority of cases.
According to the NICD, the province has confirmed 861,539 Covid-19 cases, followed by the Western Cape with 400,613 cases, up from 397,198 and a further 334 COVID-19 related deaths have been reported, bringing total fatalities to 72 013 to date.