SA receives first batch of COVID-19 vaccine doses from India, expects more to come

South Africa has secured millions of COVID-19 vaccine doses from different suppliers and expects more to come, President Cyril Ramaphosa announced in his televised address on Monday night.

"In addition to the one million Covishield doses we received today, we expect another 500,000 doses from the Serum Institute of India to arrive later in February," he said. "We have secured 12 million doses in total from the global COVAX facility, which has indicated that it will release approximately two million doses by March."

Ramaphosa also said that a further nine million doses would come from Johnson and Johnson, which has contracted Aspen, one of the major pharmaceutical compes in South Africa, to manufacture these vaccines in the country.

"In addition, Pfizer has committed 20 million vaccine doses, commencing delivery in the second quarter," he noted.

He said the state's goal was to secure enough doses to achieve "herd immunity." The goal will be reached once around 67 per cent of South Africans, which is about 40 million people, are immune.

With new infections and hospital admissions plummeting daily, Ramaphosa said some restrictions under lockdown level three would be eased.

"The hours of the curfew will now be from 11 pm to 4 am," he said, adding that liquor traders would be permitted to sell alcohol again while public spaces such as beaches, rivers and parks are opened. (/Xinhua)

( With inputs from ANI )