Covid-19 round-up: Vaccinations under the spotlight
While some vaccination sites had to close this week because of the violence and looting that caused devastation in parts of the country, the 5m vaccination milestone is in sight.
In a week marred by violent unrest and looting in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng, the Department of Health says the national vaccination programme continued as usual across most provinces, with vaccines being safely distributed to operational sites.
However, due to the unrest, some vaccination sites had to be temporarily closed because of risk factors and damage.
National health spokesperson Popo Maja says the violence impacted the vaccination roll-out and also disrupted access to essential healthcare services, including the collection of chronic medication by TB, HIV, diabetes and other patients in some districts and areas in both KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng.
“Government and the private sector’s priority is to protect lives, and prevent harm to staff, patients and the medical supplies and property that form part of the vaccination programme,” Maja says.
People who missed their vaccination due the unrest will be automatically rebooked.
“The Electronic Vaccination Data System (EVDS) will automatically reschedule appointments for those unable to attend; it is programmed to reschedule up to two missed appointments. If it is not clear whether an area has been affected, the public is advised to contact the vaccination site to which they have been scheduled before proceeding to the site for the administration of vaccines. The department will publicise a list of affected areas and sites as soon as it is available,” Maja says.
The department says it is aware that some pharmacies and medical centres have been looted, and that stock has been stolen.
“The public is warned not to buy any medicines offered for sale by anyone other than registered medical practitioners, pharmacies or hospitals, and to report any attempted sale to the SAPS immediately. Stolen or improperly dispensed medicines are extremely dangerous as they may not have been stored properly, may be contaminated, or may cause dangerous side effects.”
The department is working closely with departments in the security cluster and private sector to ensure that access to healthcare services and operations at vaccination sites are restored.
This week, the vaccination programme also opened to people 35 and older, which has seen an overwhelming number of registrations.
On Thursday (July 15), Acting Minister of Health Mmamoloko Nkhensani Kubayi tweeted that the 35+ cohort had broken a record, with over a million registrations in less than 24 hours.
The National Group(35+Cohort), You breaking Record. We have 1 million registration in less than 24hrs 🙌🏽🙌🏽🙌🏽🇿🇦🇿🇦🇿🇦#VaccinateToSaveSouthAfrica
— Mmamoloko Nkhensani Kubayi (@mmkubayi) July 15, 2021
How to register
Register on the EVDS here
The welcome screen will tell you what to do next.
Follow the instructions and input all the details the system asks you for.
When you are done, the system will send an SMS to the number you provided.
The SMS will tell you that you are registered.
When it is your turn to be vaccinated, the system will send you another SMS with a date and the venue for your vaccination.
Citizens can also register using USSD. Simply dial 1234*832*IDnumber# (if you do not have an ID number, just dial 1234*832#)
Alternatively, registrations are now also open via WhatsApp. Simply send the word REGISTER to 0600 012 3456.
Latest statistics
This week, the country recorded a cumulative 73 945 new Covid-19 cases. Wednesday (July 14) saw the biggest increase of the week, with 17 489 new cases recorded, while 11 182 cases were recorded on Monday (July 12).
On Tuesday (July 13), the country recorded 633 deaths, with the health department having to clarify that the high number was due to provincial audits of deaths in hospitals and the figures being updated.
As of July 15, the total number of confirmed Covid-19 cases was 2 253 240, an increase of 16 435 new cases from the previous day. There were 377 new deaths, bringing the total deaths to 65 972, while the number of recovered patients was at 1 982 122. A total of 4 869 759 vaccines have now been administered.
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