THE Western Cape has recorded 38 additional deaths, bringing the total Covid-19 death toll to 11 961, with 8 037 active infections.
In total, the province recorded 302 232 Covid-19 cases, with 282 234 recoveries to date.
“We have entered a third wave of Covid-19 infections and are seeing an increase in infections across the province. I call on residents to practice the lifesaving behaviours that we have learnt over the past year, to stop the spread,” said Premier Alan Winde.
He called on residents to avoid all non-essential gatherings.
“However, if you must meet, please ensure that you keep it short, small and outside – with good ventilation. It is also crucial that you avoid the ’three Cs’ – confined places, crowded spaces and close contact. You must also ensure that you maintain a safe distance,” he said.
Residents have been urged to use libraries, Cape Access Centres and public Wi-Fi hotspots to register for the vaccine.
The province has administered 274 537 vaccines. By Friday, 356 857 residents had registered for Phase 2 of the mass vaccine programme, which is nearly 50% of the total eligible to register.
Meanwhile, global multinational speciality pharmaceutical company Aspen said it was “extremely” disappointed to learn that specific batches of the Johnson & Johnson Covid-19 vaccine, manufactured at its Gqeberha production site and designated for the South African market, have to be destroyed.
This was after the Good Manufacturing Practice risk of isolated material, in the drug substance supplied to Aspen by Johnson & Johnson, from their contract manufacturing partner in the USA, Emergent.
Aspen’s Gqeberha plant is the only manufacturing site on the continent and in the southern hemisphere, selected by a global multinational pharmaceutical company of this magnitude, to contract manufacture Covid-19 vaccines.
“The batches manufactured had been retained in storage, awaiting the outcome of the US FDA assessment of Emergent. This is not only a setback to the Aspen and Johnson & Johnson teams, who have worked tirelessly to ensure the manufacture of these batches but, more importantly, has the potential to negatively impact the vaccine rollout across South Africa and Africa.”
The company said, within days, Johnson & Johnson will provide 300 000 doses of the vaccine for South African teachers.
Within a week, the company expects to release Johnson & Johnson vaccines manufactured from a drug substance that has not been impacted by the Emergent contamination.
Over the next few weeks, Johnson & Johnson will be delivering substantial quantities of compliant finished vaccines to South Africa, to replace the lost stock, thereby ensuring the momentum in the South African vaccine initiative is maintained.
“Aspen has further doses of the vaccine in production that will become available in July. These Johnson & Johnson vaccines, released by Aspen, will support the vaccination programmes in South Africa and elsewhere in Africa,” Aspen said in a statement.