Health minister Dr Joe Phaahla says that the government plans to open Covid-19 vaccines to all adults in South Africa weeks earlier than expected.<\/p>\n
South Africa is officially set to open vaccinations to people between 18-35 from 1 September. However, Phaahla said his department was now in consultations to move this date up to the end of this week.<\/p>\n
“We are in further consultations with our leadership in cabinet, (and) we will probably before the end of this week open for all adults above 18,” he told 702<\/a><\/strong>. “If not this week, then not later than next Monday (23 August) for all adults.”<\/p>\n Phaahla added that his department would not recommend relaxing the country’s lockdown restrictions due to the high number of Covid-19 cases.<\/p>\n He said that the pressure on hospitals should ease if the average number of cases falls below 10,000 a day with a positivity rate of around 10% in the next week or two.<\/p>\n However, he said that the Covid-19 numbers don’t support the relaxation of restrictions this week.<\/p>\n On Sunday (15 August), South Africa reported 10,139 new cases of Covid-19, taking the total reported to 2,605,586.<\/p>\n Deaths have reached 77,141, while recoveries have climbed to 2,375,633, leaving the country with a balance of 152,812 active cases. The total number of vaccines administered is 9,387,129.<\/p>\n JUST IN: Minister Phaahla says they are in consultations and they will probably open for all adults to get vaccines by the end of this week.#702Breakfast<\/a> #COVID19Vaccination<\/a> #letswalkthetalk<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 702 (@Radio702) August 16, 2021<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n