Funeral parlours in Soweto, Gauteng, are urging South Africans to get vaccinated and reduce COVID-19 related deaths in the country.
Around forty hearses are currently driving in convoy around Soweto, encouraging residents to get vaccinated. The funeral parlour industry is at the coalface of deaths resulting from COVID-19.
The Funeral Parlours Association is joining in the call from government to encourage members of the public to get vaccinated, as vaccines are the only way to fight the pandemic.
Spokesperson Sipho Mofokeng says at the peak of the third wave, their members were burying multiple family members, which also led to the industry running out of cold storage and coffins.
“The Association is coming today to just heed a call to say vaccines are the only solution that we have against the virus. We experience a lot of people from the same family dying in a short space of time and that creates financial challenges because some families can’t pay for funerals. We are coming out to say to our people, let’s all get vaccinated.”
Western Cape vaccination drive
The Western Cape Department of Health launched the Vaxi Taxi mobile vaccinations partnership in Atlantis earlier today.
The mobile vaccination service aims to boost COVID-19 vaccination uptake in previously under-served, rural communities and it forms part of a partnership to take vaccination to every corner of the province.
SABC News reporter Vanessa Poonah has the latest:
