Cape Town - The dismal weather conditions, coupled with vaccine hesitancy, has resulted in fewer people turning up at vaccination centres, according to the provincial health department.
Although the department continues to see people aged 60 and over presenting at vaccination sites, the number was lower than in previous weeks.
About 461 233 people had been vaccinated in the province as of Friday, July 2.
Department spokesperson Mark van der Heever said: “The department has vaccinated 369 501 persons, including educators. Through the Sisonke programme we also vaccinated 91 732 healthcare workers.”
The province reported 24 783 active cases of the virus, 297 536 confirmed cases and 334 868 recoveries as of Monday. To date, 12 549 people have succumbed to the virus.
In an effort to make the vaccines more accessible to the public, the department has made provision for an increased number of walk-ins at vaccine sites, on-site registration, transport to vaccine sites in certain areas, and door-to-door registration drives.
Meanwhile, Neighbourhood Old Age Homes health manager Delia Bulcraig said they had vaccinated all their staff and about 450 seniors.
“The Khayelitsha membership was really eager to be vaccinated. I think this was due to many personal experiences of them losing loved ones and friends to Covid-19. Our Khayelitsha clinic has seen a 14% Covid-19-related mortality rate since March 2020, so Covid-19 is very close to home for the majority of the elderly in that area,” said Bulcraig.
“Our Woodstock membership had some hesitancy, and many stayed away based on articles they had read relating to conspiracy theories, DNA and other reasons doing their rounds. We tried to counsel as many as possible, but the reluctance was there.”