Cape Town - While the start of vaccinations of police officers, Correctional Services and SANDF personnel are being celebrated, the threat of Covid-19 still remains ever present – with the latest example being an outbreak at the SA Infantry school in Oudtshoorn.
SANDF spokesperson Mafi Mgobozi said following a noticeable increase in the newly reported number of infections at military health facilities at the various training institutions, the Surgeon-General instructed a team of medical practitioners to be dispatched to all those institutions in an effort to assess adherence to protocols and health guidelines.
Mgobozi said statistics on all positive cases at the Infantry School in Oudtshoorn have not yet been confirmed and finalised as some test results were still being processed and were awaited.
He said they were planning to start the vaccination campaign in the SANDF on Thursday, and that there were 16 vaccination sites identified for that purpose across the country for the military community.
"Firstly, it must be mentioned that it was the sole responsibility of each and every member to ensure compliance and adherence to the set protocols and guidelines as proclaimed by the National Department of Health," he said.
Mgobozi said as an added control measure to ensure that new infections do not continue unabated, the Military Command (MC) issued an internal communiqué that instructed all training institutions to cease or suspend all current and scheduled courses until further notice.
"This is aimed at allowing the process to assess the situation and to prevent new infections and safeguard the lives of soldiers and support staff at these institutions," he said.
Police and Prisons Civil Rights Union spokesperson Richard Mamabolo said the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic on officials was well documented, with more than 30 000 infections and over 680 fatalities reported to date.
Mamabolo said despite those disturbing figures, officers continued to man roadblocks, work in unfamiliar and uncontrolled environments and ensure lockdown regulations were adhered to.
"We are delighted that the vaccination process is to be finally realised, and that the national roll-out process will be starting on Thursday," he said.
Close to 900 police officers were vaccinated yesterday, with Police Minister Bheki Cele and other top brass also receiving their jabs in Soweto, Johannesburg.
Cele said they did not have any other scientifically proven way of preventing the severe effects of the virus other than getting vaccinated, so they were thrilled as the Police Ministry that the day has finally arrived and believed a healthy police service was crucial in the fight against crime and maintaining the rule of law in the country.
SA Police and Allied Workers Union president Bonga Makuliwe said the union hoped that once the majority of the members are vaccinated, a number of infections would be reduced.
SA Police Union national spokesperson Lesiba Thobakgale encouraged officials to take the opportunity to vaccinate and not be clouded by the myths about vaccination safety in order to save their own lives and for protection.
Thobakgale said the management should ensure that every employee who wishes to vaccinate do so whether they were on medical aid or not and from the lowest to the highest level without any delays.