Cape Town - With the fourth wave imminent and the growth of cases being experienced in almost every community of our province, every person should get vaccinated as soon as possible.
This is the call from Premier Alan Winde on Thursday. He, again, reiterated the importance of getting vaccinated, stating that the Covid-19 vaccine is doing what it is meant to, preventing severe illness that may lead to death.
Earlier this week, the Western Cape Health Department said the province breached the 50% mark of adults who have been vaccinated with at least one vaccine dose.
The department said that although only halfway, where 51.36% or 2 556 131 of adults in the province have ensured they are protected against severe illness, it would still like to improve the vaccination coverage – particularly of the older and more vulnerable population.
It added that despite the progress, these vaccination targets are still not near the 70%+ targets that they set for themselves for the end of the year.
“Our top priority, as a province, is to reach those at highest risk of severe illness - those residents who are over 50, or people who have comorbidities,” Winde said.
He added that as of 7 December:
- In the 60+ age cohort, 66% are fully vaccinated, and 5% are partially vaccinated. This means that 71% of all people over 60 have had at least one dose of the vaccine.
- In the 50 to 59 age cohort, 57% are fully vaccinated, and 5% are partially vaccinated. This means that 62% of all people aged 50 to 59 have had at least one dose of the vaccine.
- When breaking down the data for all those people over 50 who are fully vaccinated, it is apparent that the Overberg district is doing the best, followed by the Garden Route.
- The Central Karoo is lagging all other districts by some margin.
The breakdown is as follows:
- Overberg: 75.3%
- Garden Route: 66.5%
- Cape Winelands: 59.4%
- West Coast: 59.1%
- City of Cape Town: 58.5%
- Central Karoo: 44.3%
- More information on the province’s vaccinations can be read here, “
“Using the data available to us, we are adopting a targeted approach to increase vaccinations amongst the 50+ in areas where there is a low take up.
“This is being done through pop-up vaccination sites, social mobilisation with key partners in communities, and through innovations such as the Vaxi Taxi, ” Winde said.
“We want to ensure that getting vaccinated is as easy and convenient as possible, and we will continue to find new ways to innovate to ensure this objective.”
He added that as the province is fast approaching the fourth wave, everyone needs to be on heightened alert to ensure that they keep themselves and their families safe.
Winde added that there are 4 key things residents need to remember:
- Vaccinate.
- Wear a mask.
- Ensure good ventilation with lots of fresh air.
- If attending a gathering, keep it short, small and outside
“If we all follow these basic steps and follow the golden rules of good hygiene, including staying home when sick, we can slow the spread and protect our loved ones and our economy,” Winde said.
“We all have a role to play, and now is the time to play it.”