Vaccine Maitri: South Africa receives 1st consignment of Made-in-India Covid-19 vaccine

New Delhi: 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.”

President @CyrilRamaphosa and Deputy President @DDMabuza have arrived at OR Tambo International Airport where they will receive the first consignment of the #COVID19 vaccines. Representing the Republic of India is Deputy High Commissioner Abhijit Chakraborty #WeChooseVaccination pic.twitter.com/ekZyzAzgGg

— The Presidency 🇿🇦 (@PresidencyZA) February 1, 2021

Ramaphosa also said that a further nine million doses would come from Johnson and Johnson, which has contracted Aspen, one of the major pharmaceutical companies 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.

President H.E. @CyrilRamaphosa received vaccine doses which arrived from #India .

#VaccineMaitri between India and South Africa.

India wishes सर्वे सन्तु निरामयाः ( All be free from disease). pic.twitter.com/MUbADMZ0lK

— India in SouthAfrica (@hci_pretoria) February 1, 2021

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.