As South Africa gears up to start its mass vaccination programme later this month aimed at reaching minimum herd immunity, government has managed to administer 317,656 vaccines to frontline health care workers through the Johnson & Johnson Sisonke trial.
The country’s COVID-19 cases are steadily increasing, with 1,581,210 infections recorded as of yesterday.
According to the Health Department, it recorded 1,674 new cases over the past 24 hours, and 19 deaths.
South Africa’s total death toll now sits at 54,350, while the county’s recovery rate is at 95% with 1,505, 620 people having recuperated from the virus so far.
From 16 May, government says it will move beyond inoculating healthcare workers and start vaccinating people who are 60 years of age and above.
The health ministry has said that sufficient vaccines have been secured for 45 million adults.
South African health officials aim to eventually vaccinate at least 67% of the country’s population.
