In light of detection of the new Omnicron sub-variant in the Western Cape, the provincial health department is hosting the Vaxxed and Relaxed campaign to encourage people to be Covid-safe through vaccinations.
The campaign, which forms part of the department’s provincial vaccination drive, will be hosted at beaches over weekends in January, starting with Blue Waters Beach Resort in Strandfontein this Saturday (14 January) and Kogel Bay camping site on Sunday (15 January). The drive runs from 12:00 to 17:00 on both days.
Provincial health minister Dr Nomafrench Mbombo encouraged people to remain calm and careful following confirmation of the Covid-19 XBB.1.5 sub-variant found in the Western Cape.
It was detected by the Centre for Genomic Surveillance at Stellenbosch University as part of the national and international sequencing network. While it was detected locally, samples are randomised and there is no clear confirmation that the sample was from the Western Cape.
“Our department continues to monitor the Covid-19 situation in our province, and we will alert the public if we see a rise in hospitalisations or deaths,” Mbombo said. “Our systems are still in place to monitor the situation. Right now there is no cause for alarm.”
On Tuesday (10 January), the daily Covid-19 numbers in the province showed a total number of 349 active cases reported, with 21 people admitted to hospital and three in ICUs. No deaths were reported for the day and one death was reported in the last seven days.
On the same day the national Department of Health confirmed there would be no immediate changes in protocols and no travel restrictions, as there is no confirmed evidence that the variant is more severe or causes more severe disease than other variants.
Mitigation efforts of health officials include increased surveillance and testing, with a renewed focus on vaccination. “For now, it is important that people take up their vaccinations and boosters when eligible,” Mbombo implored. “We still have weekly sites in the province and people can find the details at https://coronavirus.westerncape.gov.za/vaccine/latest-vaccination-sites. Vaccination is still the best defence against the Covid-19 virus. It is also crucial to take it up to ensure we can carry on with our lives safely.”
