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OVERBERG COVID-19 VACCINATION WEEKLY UPDATE 23 JULY 2021
Jul 23, 2021
OVERBERG COVID-19 VACCINATION WEEKLY UPDATE
To date, we have vaccinated 30 028 persons in the Overberg District, this includes health workers (as part of the Sisonke trial) and educators.
Our priority remains vaccinating those over 60. This age group is our most vulnerable and we need to do everything we can to protect them, by ensuring their immune system can fight off severe illness by being vaccinated.
The EVDS system will continue to allocate available appointment slots in the following order of priority:
Priority 1 – people 60 years and older requiring their 1st dose of Pfizer vaccine;
Priority 2 – people 60 years and older requiring their 2nd dose of Pfizer vaccine;
Priority 3 – people aged 50 -59 years requiring their 1st dose of Pfizer vaccine;
Priority 4 – people aged 35-49 years with a valid appointment SMS, requiring their 1st dose of Pfizer vaccine.
As usual, a limited number of walk-ins (over 60s will be prioritised) will be accommodated at the vaccination sites. Not all vaccination sites will have equal capacity on the day to tend to all appointments or walk ins, and our total vaccinations will be guided by local demand at that specific site.
We urge any citizen 60 years and older who has not registered, or have not received an appointment, to please go to their closest public vaccination site for assisted registration and vaccination. The first dose for 60-year and older remains the highest priority at the moment.
When visiting a vaccination site please remember your identification document, if you need to receive your second dose please remember your vaccination card received when you got your first dose.
Temporary service delivery changes at Health facilities
With the rapid rise in COVID-19 infections and announcement of the Third Wave, the Western Cape Department of Health needs to act responsibly by reducing the amount of patient contact in our facilities.
In doing so, the Department must change how we provide healthcare services. This means certain non-emergency service will be scaled down. Changes in the current service delivery offering may include (depending on local context):
Non-urgent outpatient appointments will be postponed, and patients given alternative dates;
Non-urgent elective surgery will be postponed, and patients provided with a later date;
Patients who are in hospital but are stable will be discharged for further management at home or at an intermediate care facility;
Outreaches from Districts and Regional hospitals will be suspended; and
Patients are urged to only access the Emergency Centre for emergencies. Non-emergencies to access healthcare services at nearest clinic.
We understand this might be an inconvenience to some, but it is important to remember why we are doing this – to ensure we have sufficient capacity to provide emergency medical care to those with life-threatening conditions and those who are admitted with COVID-19.
