Western Cape’s proactive efforts toward vaccine access

Today, the Western Cape Provincial Parliament became the first and only legislature – nationally and provincially – to hold an extraordinary oversight meeting during the recess period. We are wholeheartedly committed to monitoring the work of government at this time.

As we did throughout the first wave of Covid-19, the Committee will continue to hold governments to account for management of the pandemic. While certain of the renewed Level 3 restrictions are necessary to ease pressure on the healthcare system, focus must now shift to procurement and distribution of a vaccine. For this reason, I have posed parliamentary questions on vaccine concerns and have already effectively received urgent responses at today’s Committee meeting.

Having twice missed the payment deadline, national government needs to act with haste and expedite a comprehensive vaccination strategy. Without this, we will continue to see third and fourth waves, and a losing battle to maintain lives and livelihoods.

Residents deserve better.

This is why we support the province’s proactive strategy to access vaccines approved by the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority, and we are further pleased to note that Premier Winde’s government has officially engaged national counterparts in this regard. We will continue to monitor this, along with the Premier’s pledge to work toward distribution of vaccines by early 2021.

We also support the call for a data-led approach in vaccine prioritisation, and so we echo the WCG’s position that healthcare workers, essential staff, and vulnerable groups – such as the elderly and those with comorbidities – must be prioritised.

Finally, we welcome the Western Cape Government’s extension of healthcare bed capacity, which stands ready to reach 880 – more than the number of beds available at the CTICC during the first wave. This forms a critical part of the 5-point Covid Containment Strategy, including change in community behaviour; surveillance and outbreak response; scaling up of Covid-related healthcare capacity; scaling down of certain non-Covid healthcare services; and protection of healthcare workers.

We desperately need residents to take every possible precaution to protect themselves and their families from Covid-19. We can all do this by wearing a mask, staying at home as much as possible, and avoiding the three Cs: crowded spaces, close-contact settings, and confined places.