Cape Town - Cape Town City Football Club (CTCFC) players gathered to get vaccinated to especially bolster Covid-19 vaccinations for men, who are registering lower numbers than women.
The team was joined by Premier Alan Winde, Cultural Affairs and Sport MEC Anroux Marais and provincial Health Department chief of operations Dr Saadiq Kariem at the CTICC Vaccination Centre of Hope on Friday.
With just over 2.1 million vaccines administered, the department saw fewer men compared to women registering to get vaccinated.
“We definitely find a little bit more vaccine hesitancy among men, for some odd reason, and that's why we’re quite pleased to hear that CTCFC have decided to partner with us because I think it’s important to send the right message,” said Dr Kariem.
The CTICC Vaccination Centre of Hope commenced with inoculations on July 7, and have since vaccinated 74 000 people.
“In the 18-35 age cohort, 1 095 000 people have been vaccinated (12%) with this needing to increase,” said Dr Karriem.
"Ultimately what we need is the fans to come back to stadiums because without the fans there’s no real football.’’ - John Comitis
— Cape Town City FC (@CapeTownCityFC) September 4, 2021
Some of our players and staff took their vaccinations yesterday with the WC Minister of Sport & WC Premier. United as one 🙏#CityVaxxed pic.twitter.com/Kbyylpn6oS
CTCFC chairperson John Comitis said in the squad of around 29 players, nine had contracted Covid-19 and that players, coaches, and staff had supported the initiative to get vaccinated.
“We’re out here just to show the public and to tell everybody out there and especially our fans, we need you back. We need our country to come back to normality. We want full stadiums again, and we can’t do it without you.
“So we put our hands up, the players have put their hands up and they’ve said: ‘We’re going to show you that this is safe, this is the right thing to do’. It's a step in the right direction for the recovery of our country.”
One City, One Team! 💙#CityVaxxed pic.twitter.com/Yno55zvdhG
CTCFC Social Captain Mduduzi Mdantsane said: “It's very important to get the vaccine just to get our fans back into the stadiums. We can’t do it without them, and together we can bring our country back to normality.”
Marais thanked the club for setting an example. “The sooner we can reach our targets, the sooner we can open all our stadiums, not only for sport but also for the arts and culture sector.”
Winde said this was in support of sport as well as mental well-being as the pandemic takes its toll on all.
The @CapeTownCityFC players and support staff received their vaccinations today at the CTICC. I am very proud of the team for making the effort to ensure that they keep themselves, their fellow teammates and others safe. pic.twitter.com/LNIn55kfCW
— Premier Alan Winde (@alanwinde) September 3, 2021
shakirah.thebus@inl.co.za