Day 9: Western Cape allows walk-ins while Mediclinic waits for its first vaccine delivery

By 27 May, 282,135 South Africans had received the first dose of the double-shot Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine.

The Eastern Cape had administered 97,299 doses by 26 May — the majority in Buffalo City, with 27,259. The other districts are as follows:

• Alfred Nzo district municipality: 4,073


• Amathole district municipality: 13,685


• Chris Hani district municipality: 7,112


• Joe Gqabi district municipality: 2,541


• Nelson Mandela Bay metropolitan municipality: 23,448


• OR Tambo district municipality: 15,625


• Sarah Baartman district municipality: 3,556

In parts of Nelson Mandela Bay, protesting taxi drivers have been intimidating clinic staff and patients, according to Sizwe Kupelo, spokesperson for the province’s health department. Some sites were closed while others continued with skeleton staff.

The drivers have been protesting since Monday, accusing taxi associations of not paying the Covid-19 relief funds owed to them. On the evening of 26 May, a group of protesters forcefully removed patients and staff at a Motherwell clinic.

All health facilities remained closed in Motherwell on 27 May. Some remain open in Old iBhayi and KwaNobuhle. This does not just affect vaccinations, but also other services such as maternity care.

Meanwhile, all the elderly in the Eastern Cape town of Bedford have been vaccinated.

The Western Cape has announced that limited walk-ins will be allowed. However, those who arrive at a vaccination site are not guaranteed to get a jab that day. Those who arrive by appointment will be prioritised. Read more about how this works here.

Mediclinic has 10 vaccination sites ready to go, but only seven of these will begin administering doses on 28 May once they receive vaccine stock, according to Dr Gerrit de Villiers, Mediclinic’s chief clinical officer. The remaining three will receive stock next week. The company hopes to scale up to 40 sites nationwide and deliver 10,000 jabs a day.

“The mechanism for refunding the private sector for vaccinating people without medical aid is not completely clear. There is a lot of movement and I think this will be firmed up in the next few days,” said De Villiers.

“I am sure we can find a way to resolve this.” DM/MC