South Africans do not need stricter lockdowns, they need vaccines
30 May 2021
Note to Editors: Please find attached a soundbite by Siviwe Gwarube MP.
The announcement by President Cyril Ramaphosa that South Africa will move to adjusted level 2 lockdown comes as little surprise as at least 4 of the 9 provinces have entered the 3rd wave of infections. The reality is that this was inevitable with the sluggish rollout of the vaccine.
As of Friday the 28th of May, government would have vaccinated less than a million people. This means that the target of vaccinating 40 million people by year end is unattainable. This is a dismal performance considering how the 1st and 2nd wave of infections and subsequent lockdowns cost so many lives and livelihoods. This pace of vaccination will certainly lock the country in perpetual lockdowns for months to come.
The earlier curfew, permits for workers and closure of non-essential establishments by 10 pm, will do nothing in the long-term fight against Covid-19. While we welcome the restriction on large gatherings, vaccines are needed urgently to stem the bleeding of the South African economy.