I intend to support the government by voting for the measures today because I believe that, in conjunction with the accelerated booster programme, they are reasonable and proportionate and will serve as a precautionary step while we gather more evidence on the full impacts of this latest variant. The Government have been criticised in the past for not acting sooner, and I do not want to see those accusations made again. When we look at the rate of hospitalisations in South Africa, we know that this variant can make people very unwell. The vaccination programme will help to stop this but it is still a good step to have these measures in place while we allow that programme to take effect.
I am also aware that our local healthcare providers, and especially our acute hospitals, are extremely busy and it is important to minimise the preventable spread of a virus which could needlessly occupy capacity that is needed for people requiring emergency treatment.
I know there will be people who are not happy with the direction the Government are taking but I want to assure you that these measures are relatively modest and they expire on January 26th.
It is important also to stress that despite the language that has been used in the media, there are no vaccine passports being introduced. If you have chosen not to have a vaccine these measures will not stop you going to a restaurant, nightclub or theatre. The measure that is being introduced requires you to demonstrate your Covid status, and that can take the form of a negative test in addition to proof of vaccination. This is something which many venues have been doing since the summer on a voluntary basis because it boosts their customers confidence in attending, and, while I would strongly advise everyone to continue to get vaccinated, it in no way coerces members of the public into getting a vaccine should they choose not to. It is also common practice across many other countries with good effect.
I am well aware that this will not have pleased everyone who has got in touch but I think this is a sensible step to ensure that we can continue to go out and enjoy the festive season and do not have to shut down our economy as we have done in the past.
