Compulsory Covid-19 vaccinations are necessary to protect the economy from crippling lockdowns and to save jobs, the Johannesburg-based Sunday Times newspaper reported, citing Business Leadership South Africa chief executive officer Busi Mavuso.<\/p>\n
Business, labor and community partners have submitted proposals on vaccine mandates to the National Economic Development and Labour Council after President Cyril Ramaphosa said the government will form a task force to look into making vaccines compulsory for people to access some areas and engage in some activities.<\/p>\n
South African scientists identified the new omicron variant in November, setting off alarm bells around the world and sending financial markets into a tailspin. The UK, European Union, US and other countries announced travel bans on South Africa and its neighbors, dealing yet another flow to their beleaguered economies.<\/p>\n
The government has been slow to outline and legislate mandatory vaccination, according to Keymanthri Moodley, a bioethics expert at the Stellenbosch University.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s concerning that a study group wasn\u2019t set up earlier and that political expediency was prioritized over public health and safety, she said in the Sunday Times report.<\/p>\n
South Africa has had more than 3 million confirmed coronavirus infections, the most on the continent, with 16,366 new cases reported on Saturday, and a test positivity rate that accelerated to 23.8% from 9.2% a week ago.<\/p>\n
Vaccination coverage has increase since the discovery of the omicron variant, with 43% of South African adults fully vaccinated as of Dec. 4 compared to 36% a week before.<\/p>\n