YEAR SINCE FIRST CASE OF COVID-19 IN SOUTH AFRICA
THIS month marks a year since the first case of Covid-19 was reported in KwaZulu-Natal from a man who had travelled to Italy.
Since then the government has been battling the virus and has started the vaccination programme.
Health Minister Zweli Mkhize said this week more than 83 000 healthcare workers had been inoculated and more doses were on the way.
The vaccines have remained one of the major mechanisms to fight the virus that continues to mutate.
They have become and will continue to be the shield against Covid-19 until the virus is defeated.
Studies done have shown this and the government wants to ramp up efforts to contain its spread.
The government has targeted the end of the year to reach herd immunity. However, the fight is far from over, with scientists across the country continuing to work hard.
Science and Innovation Minister Blade Nzimande has committed that the department will pull out all the stops to build capacity for the country to develop its own vaccine for future pandemics.
With it being one year since the virus arrived, the work must now be on building capacity in public facilities to manage.
There have been many lessons learnt in the past year, and the government must not repeat them, including the looting of public funds meant for the poor.
But the lessons have also been how we have been managing the virus by sticking to the health protocols.
Despite the increasing number of deaths, the first and second waves have enabled South Africans to learn and understand the worst is not over yet.
This has been a year of tough choices and the government must not shy away from investing more resources into health to fight future pandemics.
In all the lessons learnt, key has been to obey health protocols. This will continue until the virus has been defeated.
But another tough year awaits with the future uncertain as the virus continues to wreak havoc.
The vaccines will continue to be the shield against Covid-19 until the virus has gone.