Eastern Cape Premier Oscar Mabuyane has assured citizens that the COVID-19 vaccine will be accessible to everyone in the province when it becomes available.
He has been briefing the media in Bhisho on the provincial government’s coronavirus resurgence plan.
Mabuyane says the rollout of the vaccine will be done nationally in close co-ordination with the provincial department of health and the private sector.
“Similar to the IEC election program, the Department of Education will make schools available, churches and community centres will be used as vaccination sites. Temporary vaccination centres will be established at key points such as municipal office buildings, malls, taxi ranks, private doctors and pharmacies, private hospitals and clinics, to make it more accessible. Mobile services will also be used.”
Premier Oscar Mabuyane outlines the province’s strategy in dealing with coronavirus:
Mabuyane has also urged people not to believe the myth about the COVID-19 vaccine. He says several vaccines have been developed over many years which prevented the spread of diseases and saved lives.
“The pandemic we are dealing with is nothing to joke about, people must resist from spreading uninformed information about the vaccine. We have health authorities in the country that will ensure we will see a safe vaccine that has gone through rigorous scientific analysis, and it has been approved by independent regulations for safety, effectiveness and high quality.”
Mabuyane says the numbers of active cases in the Nelson Mandela Metro have decreased significantly, and the metro will remain a hotspot until scientists decide otherwise.
Buffalo City has also seen a drop in the number of cases:
