As at 1pm on 17 August 2021, the Western Cape had 41 350 active COVID-19 infections, with a total number 454 587 COVID-19 cases to date and 396 327 recoveries.  

By 5pm on 16 August 2021, the Western Cape Government had administered a cumulative total of 1 495 010 vaccines to healthcare workers, staff in the education sector and those within eligible age brackets.  

The current 7-day moving average is 80 deaths per day. 

Additional data is available on the Western Cape COVID-19 data dashboard which also features active cases per sub-district, active cases per 100 000 and 7-day moving averages. To view the Dashboard, visit: https://coronavirus.westerncape.gov.za/covid-19-dashboard(link is external) 

You can also view the Western Cape Government’s vaccine registration dashboard by visiting: https://coronavirus.westerncape.gov.za/vaccine-dashboard(link is external) 

Western Cape Government to surpass 1.5 million vaccines administered today 

The Western Cape Government is on-track to surpass administering 1.5 million vaccines today.  

I want to recognise and thank the many residents who have made use of their vaccine opportunity. You are playing an important role in helping us beat COVID-19 and save lives and jobs.   

I encourage residents who are eligible and who have not yet done so to register themselves on the Electronic Vaccine Data System. If you are over 50, please walk-in as soon as possible. We will help register you at the site.  

Registration is simple and can be done by:  

visiting https://vaccine.enroll.health.gov.za/#/(link is external) (the link can also be found on www.westerncape.gov.za(link is external));

dialling *134*832# and follow the prompts (FREE on all South African Networks); and

WhatsApp the word REGISTER to 0600 123456.

 Western Cape Government continues to vaccinate those most vulnerable

The Western Cape Government, through the Provincial Department of Health, is continuing in its efforts to vaccinate those most vulnerable. In particular, the Northern and Tygerberg Substructure health team is rolling out vaccines to residents and staff at the Elim Night Shelter in Elsies River. 

Among those vaccinated is resident and employee, Msindisi who moved to Cape Town after the company he worked for in Johannesburg closed. Msindisi, later found a home and employment at the Elim Night Shelter in Elsies River, where he works as the IT technician.  

He has decided to get the COVID-19 vaccine to improve his opportunities and explains: “I got my vaccine today to stay safe against the virus, COVID-19. I can’t help that the virus impacted my work, but I can prevent it from affecting my health by taking the COVID-19 vaccine. Today I had the opportunity to get my vaccine to protect myself. I love entrepreneurship and hope to start my own business without fear of severe illness from COVID-19 taking it away from me.”

Upon visiting the shelter, the team found that some residents had already been vaccinated.  Among them is COVID-19 survivor James Monteiro (65) who proudly shares that he has received two doses of the Pfizer vaccine at the Goodwood Civic Centre.

Monteiro explains: “I heard that everyone was going for their vaccine, and I thought I should go too. They said that it would protect us. I previously became ill, last year after Christmas. I had COVID-19 but luckily, I did not become too ill. I was hospitalised after becoming sick. It’s been more than a month since I got my second shot of the vaccine, and I am still in good health. I would encourage other people to get their vaccine as well.”

Elim Night Shelter manager, Shafeek Ortell, has thanked Western Cape Government and its healthcare workers for their support in vaccinated staff.

Ortell explains: “This pandemic has impacted our team. We had two cases where our residents had to be isolated due to the virus. Like many other organisations, the pandemic impacted everyone financially. We brought the vaccination programme to our team and residents to protect everyone against the virus. We have had cases where residents were a little hesitant at first, but we will continue to encourage all residents. We thank God that all our elderly have been vaccinated. We thank the healthcare team from Reed Street CDC who came out today to do the vaccinations.”