Covid19: Dr Phaala Encourages Vaccination, Says Masks Are Here to Stay

• Dr Joe Phaala, the Minister of Health, updated South Africans on the current status of Covid-19 and related issues via a media briefing
• Phaala said that it is highly likely that people will need to wear face masks in public places for the foreseeable future
• The percentage of South Africans who are fully vaccinated is 28.1%, with 33.2% having received their first dose and just over 1% have had their booster shot

JOHANNESBURG - This morning (4 February), Dr Joe Phaala, the Minister of Health, updated South Africans on the current status of Covid-19 and related issues via a media briefing.

During his update, Phaala said that it is highly likely that people will need to wear face masks in public places for the foreseeable future. This is due to the global trend of enforcing mask mandates, and that Covid-19 is far from over, in his opinion.

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Unvaccinated Covid19 patients make up the bulk of hospitalisations

According to News24, Phaala said that current research shows that people need to receive the Covid-19 vaccine to be protected from harmful effects linked to the coronavirus, such as severe symptoms, hospitalisation, and death.

Phaala explains the current state of Covid-19 in SA

So far, 30 167 525 doses of the Covid-19 vaccine have been administered in South Africa. The percentage of South Africans who are fully vaccinated is 28.1%, with 33.2% having received their first dose and just over 1% having had their booster shot.

In the past 24 hours, 3 357 people in South Africa have tested positive for co i-19, and eight people have died from the coronavirus. So far, 95 817 people have died from Covid-19 in South Africa. The current positivity rate in South Africa is 8.9%.

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Covid19: South Africa faces 5th wave of pandemic as winter nears

TimesLive reports that Dr Nicolas Crisp from the NICD recommends that people who have previously been infected with Covid-19 should also receive the vaccine, despite rumours advocating for the opposite.

Reactions to Phaala's Covid-19 address

@Mark81607413 said:

"So basically we expect another winter with colds and flu, like we've been having since anyone can remember."

@JenniferNorins believes:

"After 2 years, it is really on us to act responsibly whenever we do not feel well."

@Sunflow08593559 remarked:

"Get your boosters to stay out of trouble."

@soutieslak asked:

"Seasonal flu or covid?"

@The_Real_Kudzie shared:

"A Prophet of doom."

Unvaccinated Covid-19 patients make up the bulk of hospitalisations

In other news about Covid-19, Briefly News recently reported that Health Minister Joe Phaahla has revealed that most patients who are hospitalised with Covid-19 are unvaccinated.

He urged South Africans to get the jab; over 30 million vaccines have been administered. The vaccine offers protection from serious symptoms that normally result in hospitalisation and can in some cases lead to death.

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Covid19 update: SA says self isolation is only for positive cases with symptoms, shortened to 7 days

The latest number of infections shows an impressive recovery rate of 96% with 221 new deaths and 2 782 new cases of the virus.

Source: Briefly News