The government’s inclusion of the SANDF in the fight against rising Covid-19 infections was welcomed.
On Monday, the Gauteng provincial government welcomed personnel from the SA Military Health Services to help in the vaccination processes under way in the province and country.
Last year, there was nationwide military deployment when the lockdown was first implemented in March. Soldiers helped in manning interprovincial roadblocks and patrolled the streets to ensure compliance, but their deployment was marred by violence, with soldiers blamed for their heavy-handedness.
The military, which is yet to be vaccinated in a government programme aimed at front-line workers, will assist with mass Covid-19 screening and testing, as well as contact tracing.
We implore the government to spare resources at its disposal to deal with the pandemic that has claimed so many lives already – and has crippled so many livelihoods and economies worldwide. The move to involve the military may be what the doctor has ordered in hospitals where health workers are already overburdened and at risk of burn out due to the resurgence of Covid-19 cases.
The resurgence, particularly in Gauteng, has seen a surge in admission of patients to hospitals, and an increase in bed spaces taken in wards.
The deployment of the military has reportedly been triggered by this resurgence with infections in Gauteng averaging over 6 000 daily the past seven days. The province has surpassed the Covid-19 numbers observed during the first and second waves due to mass non-compliance with regulations implemented to curb the spread of the virus, acting Health Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi-Ngubane said.
Briefing the media on Friday, she raised concern about people protesting in large numbers, running without masks and not sticking to rules that limit outdoor gatherings to 100 people. To date, more than 2 million people have been vaccinated in South Africa.
National Department of Health deputy director-general Nicholas Crisp said the limited availability of vaccines has constrained vaccination efforts.
The 300 000 Johnson & Johnson vaccines which were earmarked for teachers, arrived in the country early last week. They will only be distributed after quality testing is completed, and teacher vaccination is expected to begin on Wednesday.
The Star