By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
Health minister Dr Zweli Mkhize says that a decision to move South Africa to a higher lockdown level is currently being discussed by government officials.
In an interview with the public broadcaster, Mkhize said that the decisions will be based on recommendations from epidemiological experts as well as business and members of civil sector.
He said that there have been recommendations to introduce a stricter lockdown as part of a consultation process based on scientific evidence.
However, he noted that the government has also received a request from the religious sector to allow for increased church attendance over the Easter weekend.
This is a sensitive period where there is the vulnerability and the chance of the risk that we could have a super spreading event, with all the festivities and activities that go with the Easter long weekend.
“So the advisory was for a temporary increase in restrictions over this period of time,” he said.
He added that the government has to take into account that we must discourage super-spreader events over the Easter weekend, we need to avoid inter-provincial movement which could lead to spreading the virus.
However, he noted that South Africans have largely learnt their lessons over the past year on issues such as mask-wearing and social distancing, indicating that government may not have to be overly strict with a lockdown.
Meanwhile President Cyril Ramaphosa’s cabinet has announced that phase 2 of the country’s Covid-19 vaccine rollout will start in May 2021.
Briefing media on the announcement on Thursday (25 March), acting minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni said that the second phase is scheduled to last for six months and will run until October 2021.
“This phase will cover over 13,350,140 people in the vulnerable groups, essential workers, and occupational health and safety streams,” she said.
“(This will include) workers in sectors that are critical for economic recovery such as mines, hospitality, taxi industry, retail and spaza shops, fruit and vegetable vendors, media and other applicable beneficiaries.”
Ntshavheni said that phase 3 will be implemented over three months between November 2021 – February 2022.
This phase aims to cover the remainder of all people in South Africa, including those who were not vaccinated in Phase 2. It will target 22,600,640 people, Ntshavheni said.
She added that the vaccination sites for Phases 2 and 3 will expand to 2,085 and will also include private sector sites to improve the efficiency and speed of the vaccination roll-out programme.
“Cabinet would like to reassure South Africans of the capacity of the Department of Health, in partnership with the private sector, to undertake a mass vaccine roll-out when Phase 2 gets underway,” Ntshavheni said.