As
South Africa enters a fifth wave of the coronavirus pandemic, increasing
vaccine uptake and remaining vigilant on public hygiene measures are key to
keeping Nelson Mandela Bay’s economy open for business and protecting
customers, employees, and jobs.
With
Covid-19 cases steadily rising and less than half of the metro’s eligible
population fully-vaccinated, the Nelson Mandela Bay Business Chamber has called
on businesses, public facilities and residents to fight against “Covid
fatigue”.
South
Africa’s coronavirus positivity rate reached a four-month high of 25.9% in the
past week, while winter is on the doorstep, when people are more susceptible to
respiratory infections and more likely to gather indoors, enabling the virus to
spread faster.
“The
Covid-19 pandemic has had an immense impact on the economy and on people’s
livelihoods. The last thing we want to see are the return of tougher compliance
restrictions. We want business, especially tourism, hospitality, events, retail
and other customer-facing businesses, to be able to continue to operate without
disruptions,” says Denise van Huyssteen, CEO of the Nelson Mandela Bay Business
Chamber.
“We
believe the only way to keep our local economy operating and in recovery mode
is to ensure adherence to hygiene measures such as masks and sanitising of
hands and surfaces, controlling numbers of people in enclosed spaces, and
encouraging and supporting employees to get vaccinated.”
The
weekly pace of vaccinations in the metro has slowed to almost zero, and only
44% of the Bay’s eligible population are fully vaccinated. Van Huyssteen
therefore urges employers and educational institutions to share credible
information and encourage vaccination, particularly where vaccine hesitancy is
high, in order to raise levels of immunity and avoid rising infection rates.
“The
levels of vaccine hesitancy, especially among the youth, are highly concerning
and we have recently seen Covid-19 outbreaks in some local schools. It is vital
that educational institutions and employers continue communicating the science
and the benefits of vaccination and encourage people to get vaccinated.
“In
workplaces and educational sites, managers can arrange for the health
department to visit and offer vaccinations on-site, or they could make it
possible for employees to be transported to vaccination sites,” she says.
“Also, it is vital that those that have
already been fully vaccinated, ensure that they get their booster shots
periodically.”
