WESTERN CAPE NEWS - I strongly encourage those who are 50 years and older to walk in to our vaccine sites and take up your vaccine opportunity, should you not have done so already.
As of today, 1.5 million vaccines have already been administered in our province and it’s important that we make use our opportunity to get vaccinated, should we be eligible.
I am, however, concerned that those between 50-59 have a lower uptake in terms of registrations.
Our hospital data indicates that this group, like the over 60s, are at higher risk of getting seriously ill from COVID-19 and requiring hospitalisation. They are also at higher risk of dying from COVID-19.
That is precisely why vaccinations are needed. They help protect us from getting seriously ill and thereby needing to be treated in hospital.
WC Government thanks residents for practicing lifesaving behaviours
On behalf of the Western Cape Government, I want to thank and recognise each individual in the Western Cape who is playing their part in breaking the chain of transmission by consistently practicing the lifesaving behaviours we have learnt throughout the pandemic to stop the spread.
I know it is not always easy to avoid contact with others, to wear your mask and to repeatedly santise and wash your hands, but I commend you on doing so as you are helping in the fight against COVID-19.
My message is to stay strong and keep on with this important behavior. It really does help in protecting our hospitals and saving lives.
Update on the coronavirus and vaccines
As at 13:00 on 18 August, the Western Cape had 40 860 active COVID-19 infections, with a total number 458 710 COVID-19 cases to date and 400 855 recoveries.
By 17:00 on 17 August, the Western Cape Government had administered a cumulative total of 1 531 319 vaccines to healthcare workers, staff in the education sector and those within eligible age brackets.
The current 7-day moving average is 80 deaths per day. We will continue to monitor this figure closely for any changes as from past experiences there could be delays due to the public holiday which impact our week-on-week comparisons.
Additional data is available on the Western Cape COVID-19 data dashboard which also features active cases per sub-district, active cases per 100 000 and 7-day moving averages.
You can also view the Western Cape Government’s vaccine registration dashboard here.
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