The health department says it’s concerned about the likelihood of increased Covid-19 infections as a result of the looting spree that took place in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng in the past 10 days.
Kubayi said a decision was taken to temporarily halt the vaccination rollout during the riots.
“This was done to ensure the security of the vaccines so that they didn't end up in the wrong hands or get lost because people were not able to move across the province,” she said. Kubayi said vaccination has commenced in KwaZulu-Natal. Operations in Gauteng, where vaccination was stopped for a day, have since resumed.
“In terms of health facilities that were disrupted, we were able to secure distribution of oxygen to hospitals with police escorts.Kubayi said work was continuing to assess the losses, especially in KZN. “We have a sense of where we are, especially in KZN specifically, but it is not yet finalised because some of the people are still accessing the sites to see what is there and quantify what the loss is.
Portfolio committee chair Dr Sibongiseni Dhlomo asked Kubayi what citizens should do if they find medication among looted items.
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