South Africans Have No Interest in Covid19 Despite 5th Wave Looming, Vaccine Rate at a Record Low

South Africans Have No Interest in Covid19 Despite 5th Wave Looming, Vaccine Rate at a Record Low

  • As the fifth wave looms, South Africans have completely disregarded and ignored the Covid-19 pandemic
  • Efforts from officials to warn that the pandemic is not over have gone above the heads of South Africans
  • The vaccination rate is lower than when only people aged 60 and over were allowed to receive the jab

PAY ATTENTION: Click “See First” under the “Following” tab to see Briefly News on your News Feed!

JOHANNESBURG - A new Covid-19 wave is headed for South African shores, however, talk around the deadly virus has stopped and vaccination rates have dropped substantially. With the fifth wave looming, scientists have predicted that the infections will be less deadly.

Despite efforts by health officials who warn that the pandemic is not over, South Africans are refusing to take heed. The department of health’s initial target to have 67% of the population vaccinated seems unattainable.

Read also

Minister of Health Joe Phaahla warns of an increase in Covid19 infections at Portfolio Committee meeting

SA, lost interest in Covid19, fifth wave, looming, infections rising, vaccine rate declined
The vaccine rate in South Africa is at an all-time low despite the fifth Covid-19 wave looming. Image: Getty
Source: Getty Images

Business Insider reported that the current vaccination rate is lower than at the early stage of the pandemic when only people aged 60 and over were allowed to be vaccinated. The country’s wastewater also detected the presence of Covid-19, which is a stronger indicator of the fifth wave.

The department of health's Social Listening and Infodemiology team noted that engagement on social media regarding the virus is also down.

PAY ATTENTION: Never miss breaking news – join Briefly News' Telegram channel!

A professor at the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD), Adrian Puren, warned the public that there could be a change in the test patterns indicated on data related to the virus. The Daily Maverick reported that the wastewater in Gauteng displayed an increase in the virus.

South Africans react to the fifth wave

@dbvl53 commented:

Read also

BBC News has tough time locating KZN on map of Africa, Mzansi people light up social media: “Ridiculous”

"After the damage the government caused, I wonder why? In the end when it was tallied up, no more died than would have died in that period. Africa is almost naturally immune. The economy was shattered. Big pharma, many politicians, their entourage and families became very rich."

@BlackSwanZA said:

“We're having so many disasters and State of Emergencies that we're in this perpetual adrenaline-fueled survival mode and people's brains are prioritising the latest emergency over Covid-19.”

@ISedio commented:

“I'd rather listen to someone talking about crypto than covid.”

@adrianho11 posted:

“Yup we don’t care.”

Minister of Health Joe Phaahla warns of an increase in Covid19 infections at portfolio committee meeting

Briefly News also reported that Minister of Health Joe Phaahla has warned South African citizens about a worrying rise in Covid-19 infections. The health department released its annual performance plan to the Portfolio Committee on Health on Friday 22 April.

Read also

Durban woman mourns losing powerful GTI in KZN floods, Mzansi peeps shows her support

The country recorded over 4 000 Covid-19 cases on Thursday and almost half were detected in Gauteng. Phaahla said while the rise is concerning, he is hopeful that the numbers won't rise.

He said that the situation is being monitored and once a trend has been noticed, a report will be delivered to the committee. The health minister urged residents to continue following the preventive measures.

Source: Briefly News

Authors:
Bianca Lalbahadur avatar

Bianca Lalbahadur Bianca Lalbahadur is a current affairs journalist at Briefly News. With a knack for writing hard-hitting content, she is dedicated to being the eyes and ears of South Africans. As a young and vibrant journalist, Bianca is passionate about providing quality and factual stories that impact citizens. She graduated from the Independent Institute of Education in 2017 and has worked at several award-winning Caxton associated community newspapers.