Fellow South Africans,
I handle you this night as we start a brand new chapter in our wrestle in opposition to the coronavirus.
Earlier in the present day the Deputy President David Mabuza, Minister of Well being Dr Zwelini Mkhize, Minister Khumbudzo Ntshavheni and I, acquired our nation’s first consignment of COVID-19 vaccines.
The consignment, consisting of 1 million doses of the Covishield vaccine produced by the Serum Institute in India, arrived at OR Tambo Worldwide Airport this afternoon.
This vaccine was developed by the pharmaceutical firm AstraZeneca along with the College of Oxford. South Africa was one of many nations the place medical trials have been held to evaluate the drug’s efficacy.
The arrival of those vaccines accommodates the promise that we are able to flip the tide on this illness that has brought about a lot devastation and hardship in our nation and internationally.
The pace and scale at which new vaccines have been developed is unprecedented in human historical past and represents the monumental progress that humanity can obtain within the face of a typical menace.
South Africa has been a part of this unimaginable journey by the worldwide neighborhood looking for an enduring resolution to the COVID-19 pandemic.
I need to thank all of the South Africans who participated in varied vaccines trials on a voluntary foundation and commend all of the researchers who led these research.
A lot of our researchers have participated in ground-breaking analysis within the discipline of genomics offering new details about the virus resulting in the identification of the variant referred to as 501Y.V2.
Now that the vaccines have arrived they are going to be examined on the Nationwide Management Laboratory to verify that their integrity has been maintained throughout transportation.
After testing, they are going to be distributed throughout the nation to hundreds of our healthcare staff who every single day put their very own lives in danger to save lots of others.
We should guarantee their safety as they battle for ours.
In accordance with our phased rollout technique, all healthcare staff in the private and non-private sectors will probably be prioritised for vaccination.
Provincial well being departments have submitted their distribution plans and we now have recognized about 200 amenities to which the vaccines could be distributed.
As soon as we now have accomplished the vaccination of healthcare staff, we’ll transfer to Part 2 of the nationwide vaccine technique, which can embrace important staff, individuals over 60 years, individuals with co-morbidities in addition to these residing in locations corresponding to nursing houses and hostels.
In Part 3, we’ll lengthen the vaccination programme to the remainder of the grownup inhabitants.
I do know lots of you may be asking the all-important query: how you’ll entry the vaccine should you fall within the classes to which I’ve referred.
The Division of Well being has developed an Digital Vaccine Information System to streamline the vaccine registration and rollout course of. This may enable us to seize all related information related to the administration of the vaccine.
This method permits an individual to make an appointment as quickly as they qualify for a vaccination on the vaccine centre closest to them. The system will file vaccinations as they’re administered.
As I stated throughout my earlier handle, we’re sourcing our vaccines from plenty of suppliers.
– Along with the 1 million Covishield doses that we acquired in the present day; we anticipate one other 500,000 doses from the Serum Institute of India to reach later in February.
– Now we have secured 12 million doses in complete from the worldwide COVAX facility, which has indicated that it’s going to launch roughly 2 million doses by March.
– Now we have secured 9 million vaccine doses from Johnson & Johnson, commencing with supply within the second quarter. Johnson & Johnson has contracted Aspen, considered one of our pharmaceutical firms, to fabricate these vaccines in South Africa.
– As well as, Pfizer has dedicated 20 million vaccine doses commencing with deliveries within the second quarter.
We’re in superior negotiations with producers to safe further provides.
South Africa will even obtain an allocation of vaccine doses via the African Union, which has been negotiating with producers to safe vaccines for all the continent on a pooled foundation.
By way of the African Vaccine Acquisition Process Workforce of the African Union, we now have up to now secured 1 billion vaccines for all the continent.
Seven hundred million of those will come from the worldwide COVAX facility and 300 million have been facilitated by the African Vaccine Acquisition Process Workforce.
We will probably be getting different vaccines that will probably be donated by varied non-public sector firms so as to add to the vaccines that our continent wants.
MTN, which is considered one of our firms that operates throughout plenty of nations on the African continent, has made a donation of $25 million to acquire 7 million vaccines, which will probably be made obtainable to nations on the African continent inside a matter of weeks.
I want to applaud MTN for this beneficiant donation and I name upon non-public sector firms to observe the instance of MTN.
A substantial quantity of labor has been accomplished with the non-public sector and I’m happy that there’s sturdy dedication to help each facet of the nationwide vaccine rollout effort. This contains funding when wanted, logistics, distribution and administration.
This has manifested in tight collaboration between the private and non-private sectors via a spread of labor streams assembly every day to realize a profitable rollout.
We intention to safe sufficient doses to realize ‘herd immunity’, also called ‘inhabitants immunity’.
That is when sufficient of the inhabitants is resistant to the virus to supply oblique safety to those that aren’t immune. This could carry the unfold of the virus underneath management.
Our scientists estimate that we’ll possible attain herd immunity as soon as round 67 per cent of our persons are immune.
This quantities to round 40 million individuals in South Africa.
We are going to go away no stone unturned in our efforts to make it possible for sufficient vaccine doses are secured to succeed in inhabitants immunity in our nation.
The vaccines that we’re procuring have gone via meticulous, multi-stage testing processes, together with giant trials involving hundreds of individuals.
Along with figuring out their effectiveness, these trials are additionally designed to determine unintended effects and security issues. Impartial regulators then assessment the info from these trials to make sure they aren’t dangerous.
The vaccines that we’re procuring have been proven to be secure in giant medical trials throughout a number of nations.
All of us need to be freed from this illness. All of us need to be secure, and for these we like to be secure.
We intention to make the vaccine obtainable to all adults residing in South Africa, no matter their citizenship or residence standing.
We will probably be putting in measures to take care of the problem of undocumented migrants in order that, as with all different individuals, we are able to correctly file and observe their vaccination historical past.
It’s in the perfect pursuits of all that as many people obtain the vaccine as potential.
However I need to be clear. No person will probably be compelled to take this vaccine. No person will probably be forbidden from travelling, from enrolling at college, or from participating in any public exercise in the event that they haven’t been vaccinated.
No person will probably be given this vaccine in opposition to their will, nor will the vaccine be administered in secret.
Any rumours to this impact are each false and harmful.
Fellow South Africans,
The primary excellent news is the arrival in the present day of the vaccines.
The second is that we now have recorded our lowest every day improve in infections for the reason that starting of December final yr.
Actually, the typical price of recent infections has been steadily coming down during the last three weeks, indicating that we now have now handed the height of the second wave.
Up to now seven days, the every day common of recent infections was round 5,500, in comparison with simply over 10,000 infections within the earlier seven days.
In different phrases, the typical variety of every day new infections has come all the way down to nearly half of what it was.
The variety of hospital admissions has additionally been falling.
On the peak of the second wave, we recorded over 2,300 hospital admissions in a day. This had fallen to 295 hospital admissions by the twenty ninth of January.
Whereas all the symptoms are not off course, we’re nonetheless experiencing comparatively excessive charges of transmission.
We’re happy that throughout the nation, most individuals are adhering to the restrictions we now have needed to impose and are diligently observing the fundamental well being measures wanted to forestall an infection.
I need to thank the hundreds of thousands of South Africans who needed to endure restrictions on their motion and actions in order that infections could possibly be contained, and lives could possibly be saved.
You’ve got understood that no stroll on the seaside, no picnic within the park, and no late-night occasion is well worth the lack of life that has been prevented by these restrictions.
Whereas these restrictions are momentary, the lack of life is everlasting.
Nonetheless, we all know that the measures essential to comprise the unfold of the virus have brought about nice hardship and problem for some individuals.
We’re acutely conscious that these restrictions have negatively affected companies and threatened jobs within the hospitality, tourism and associated industries.
That’s the reason we’re decided that such restrictions mustn’t proceed any longer than is totally essential to comprise the pandemic and minimise the lack of life.
It is because of this that we’ll proceed to work with enterprise and labour in these sectors to revive companies and restore jobs each within the fast and long term.
Over the previous few days, we now have assessed the state of the pandemic. Now we have sought the recommendation of consultants and consulted with representatives of provincial and native authorities and conventional leaders.
With the clear decline in new infections, hospital admissions and deaths, Cupboard has determined to steadily ease plenty of restrictions underneath adjusted Degree 3.
– The hours of the curfew will now be from 11pm to 4am.
Institutions might want to shut by 10pm to permit their clients and workers to return dwelling by curfew.
– Religion-based gatherings will probably be permitted, topic to well being protocols.
Such gatherings could not exceed 50 individuals for indoor venues and 100 individuals for out of doors venues. The place the venue is simply too small to accommodate these numbers with acceptable social distancing, then not more than 50 per cent of the capability of the venue could also be used.
– Public locations corresponding to seashores, dams, rivers, parks and public swimming swimming pools will probably be reopened topic to well being protocols.
– Restrictions on the sale of alcohol will probably be eased.
The sale of alcohol by licensed premises for off-site consumption will probably be permitted from Mondays to Thursdays, from 10am to 6pm.
Obligation-free retailers, registered wineries, wine farms, micro-breweries and micro-distilleries will have the ability to promote alcohol for off-site consumption throughout their regular licensed working hours.
The sale of alcohol by licensed premises for on-site consumption – corresponding to eating places and taverns – will probably be permitted all through the week from 10am to 10pm.
These adjustments have been made potential by the numerous discount in COVID-19 hospital admissions throughout all provinces, lowering the strain on beds and hospital personnel.
I need to name on all of us to drink responsibly in order that we don’t expertise a spike in trauma instances or a rise in infections as a consequence of reckless behaviour.
As we ease restrictions as soon as once more, the accountability on every considered one of us as people turns into even better.
Allow us to keep in mind that regardless of the clear progress we now have made, the variety of new instances remains to be excessive and there may be an ever-present hazard of a resurgence.
It’s subsequently obligatory to keep up the nation on coronavirus alert stage 3, indicating the continued excessive threat of transmission.
A number of prevention measures will stay in place.
– Social gatherings, political occasions, conventional council conferences and gatherings at sports activities grounds is not going to be permitted.
This doesn’t embrace non secular gatherings and funerals and different restricted exceptions as detailed within the laws, corresponding to eating places, museums and gymnasiums.
– Funerals will not be attended by greater than 50 individuals, and there must be social distancing, hand sanitising and masks sporting.
– It stays obligatory for each particular person to put on a masks in a public house.
Whilst we roll-out the vaccination programme all year long and as we steadily work to cut back the variety of new infections, we might want to proceed to look at cautious precautions to cut back transmission.
That is significantly necessary as the brand new variant of the virus – 501Y.v2 – is now widespread throughout the nation.
We all know that it’s extra infectious than the sooner pressure and is subsequently much more prone to drive one other resurgence of infections and improve the demand on our well being amenities.
We additionally know far more in regards to the patterns of an infection.
If a member of a family has COVID-19 and hygiene measures aren’t applied, the probabilities are excessive that an infection will unfold to individuals in the identical family.
Due to this fact, individuals who uncover that they’ve been uncovered to the virus or are COVID-19 constructive ought to isolate at dwelling away from different members of the family or, if this isn’t potential, go to a authorities quarantine website.
Being in crowded locations or spending time in closed, unventilated areas dramatically will increase the chance of contracting the virus.
For that reason, you could keep away from indoor areas wherever potential and open home windows to restrict the unfold of the virus via the air.
Analysis has proven that the chance of transmission of the virus is sort of twenty instances larger indoors than in out of doors settings.
We proceed to ask all South Africans to maintain a secure distance of 1.5 metres from different individuals always.
We urge employers to permit their workers to work at home wherever potential, and to not threat transmission the place it isn’t completely obligatory to take action.
And bear in mind, even should you do not need signs, you may nonetheless cross the virus to different individuals.
So put on a masks and be certain that your masks covers your nostril and mouth at any time when you might be in a public place.
For those who will need to have interactions with family and friends achieve this exterior.
Fellow South Africans,
For the reason that very first case of COVID-19 was found in our nation, we now have mobilised the entire assets at our disposal to guard the lives and livelihoods of all South Africans.
Now we have been extraordinarily lucky to obtain help from everywhere in the world.
This night, I want to recognise particularly the selfless and unwavering help of the federal government and folks of Cuba.
True to its historical past, this small island nation has demonstrated solidarity with the toughest hit nations and despatched greater than 3,700 Cubans all through the world to help within the battle in opposition to COVID-19.
In recognition of this effort, the South African Cupboard has accredited a proposal to appoint the Henry Reeve Worldwide Contingent of Docs Specialised in Catastrophe Conditions and Severe Epidemics – or as they generally are identified, the Cuban Medical Brigade – for the 2021 Nobel Peace Prize.
In Africa alone, the Brigade had handled greater than 38,000 individuals by the tip of November 2020. They’re presently nonetheless lively in lots of nations, together with right here in South Africa.
We lengthen our sincerest gratitude to the individuals of Cuba for this nice demonstration of solidarity and humanity.
Like so many individuals world wide, we now have suffered great loss and endured nice sacrifices.
Our lives have modified in profound methods, and we now have been compelled to adapt to a brand new and tough circumstance.
Now, because of the heroic efforts of our healthcare staff, the tireless work of our scientists, the bravery of all our frontline staff and the dedication of every South African, we are able to lastly think about a world the place the virus has been introduced underneath management.
It’s as much as all of us to carry that world into being.
It’s as much as us to not let down our guard, and to forestall a 3rd wave of infections.
It’s as much as us to guard ourselves, our households and our communities.
It’s as much as us to get vaccinated as quickly as we’re eligible and cease the virus from spreading additional.
Above all, it’s as much as all of us to maintain the flame of hope alive, to stay decided in our dedication to at least one one other and to our nation.
Collectively, we’ll recuperate and rebuild.
Might God Bless South Africa and shield her individuals.
Nkosi Sikelel’ iAfrika.
Morena boloka Sechaba sahesu.
Hosi katekisa Afrika Dzhonga.
Right here seën Suid Afrika.
Mudzimu fhatutshedza Afrika Tshipembe.
Nndaa.
I thanks.
Supply: www.thepresidency.gov.za