Social development minister Lindiwe Zulu tests positive for Covid-19

Minister of Social Development Lindiwe Zulu tested positive for Covid-19 on Monday morning.

The minister’s positive result comes in the wake of the discovery of the Omicron variant, which has been declared as a variant of concern by the World Health Organization.

Zulu is now in isolation and recovering at home, but plans to continue her duties.

“It all started with a scratchy throat and I didn’t suspect anything, but when it persisted, I took the Covid-19 test on Sunday and received the results Monday morning,” said Zulu.

“I am feeling well and I can attribute this to the fact that the virus found me fully vaccinated,” said Zulu.

Zulu has called on all unvaccinated South Africans to take part in the upcoming Vooma Vaccination Weekend, from 3 to 5 December.

She has urged people to take the virus seriously and follow Covid-19 protocols at all times by wearing a mask, washing and sanitising hands and maintaining social distance.
 
“As President [Cyril] Ramaphosa emphasised last [Sunday] night, vaccination is the most powerful tool we have and it is not too late to get vaccinated before the fourth wave hits us hard,” said Zulu.

Zulu got vaccinated back in June at the Randgate Clinic in Randfontein, west of Johannesburg. The 63-year-old received her jab along with South African Social Security Agency (Sassa) CEO, Totsie Memela-Khambula, and several other over-60s as part of phase two of the mass vaccination rollout programme, currently underway countrywide.

So far, a total of 6,894,598 Covid-19 vaccinations have been administered in Gauteng as of 28 November 2021.

The total number of doses administered is 4,415,641. Of that, 3,654,218 people are fully vaccinated.

The government is currently looking at administering booster shots to healthcare workers who were first vaccinated as part of the Sisonke trial.

Booster shots will also be available to over-60s and people with comorbidities.

Compiled by Narissa Subramoney

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