Lack of critical details on vaccine programme a major concern – Cosatu
The Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) has criticised government for its “continued lack” of progress and clarity on the timeframes, procurement, logistics and other critical details of the country’s vaccine programme, which was a major concern.
Delivering his fifth State of the Nation Address in Parliament on Thursday evening, President Cyril Ramaphosa stated that the country had secured nine-million doses of the Johnson & Johnson (J&J) vaccine, with 80 000 doses expected to arrive in the country next week. A further consignments will arrive over the next four weeks, totalling 500 000 J&J vaccines.
“We cannot afford to end 2021 without having reached the 70% population immunity level because the economy cannot sustain period shutdowns,” said Cosatu.
While the trade union did congratulate Ramaphosa’s government for their decisive interventions in response to the Covid-19 outbreak, last year, it called on government to undertake a mass public education programme to explain the importance of vaccination to members of the public.
Cosatu also called for government to fill vacancies in the health sector as healthcare workers were overstretched and needed to be reinforced.
The trade union also urged Parliament to pass the National Health Insurance (NHI) Bill and for government to roll out the NHI, saying a modern healthcare system must be accessible to all.
Cosatu welcomed Ramaphosa’s announcement that the Unemployment Insurance Fund’s Covid-19 Temporary Employment Relief Scheme will be extended to March 15 and noted the President’s call for the extension of the R350 Covid-19 grant for the long-term unemployed.
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