Mokhothu encourages people to take Covid vaccine

…as the infection rate declines to 0.8 percent in the past weekend and Govt implements use of vaccination cards to access certain services
MASERU – Deputy Prime Minister Mathibeli Mokhothu says the COVID-19 vaccine is essential in saving lives, encouraging people to vaccinate.
This, he said on Sunday night updating the nation on the progress made on the national vaccination campaign.

Mr Mokhothu said the vaccine has benefits which include among others, protection against severe illnesses and prevention of death, reducing burdens at health centres, easing of COVID-19 restrictions and the negative impact on the country’s economy.

He said if people get vaccinated, that will help open all movement as well as get both the economy and life back to normal. He said Lesotho is exemplary because as soon as they started vaccinating they saw the infection rate declining tremendously. He said by Sunday, the infection rate had declined to 0.8 percent, adding that to ensure it stays that way, the Government has therefore strengthened all protection protocols.

Among others, he noted that as of November 1, vaccination cards will be required for access of services at some service providers which include night clubs, taverns, political rallies, public gatherings, parks and restaurants. The DPM therefore warned people to always be in possession of both their vaccination cards and identification cards in order to access the above mentioned services. The two cards, he however showed will not be required to attend both funeral and church services.

Over 500 000 people have been vaccinated since the campaign began and the target is to vaccinate about 1.6 million people by December. The COVID-19 vaccine first arrived in Lesotho on March 3 and the vaccination campaign was launched a week later at Scott Hospital in Morija on the outskirts of Maseru. His Majesty King Letsie III and His family were the first to receive the COVID-19 vaccine.

The vaccination campaign soon after rolled out for all health workers in all the 10 districts from March 15 and the health professionals were the first group to be vaccinated. According to projections by an Oxford University COVID-19 database, Our World in Data, Lesotho is the only country in sub-Saharan Africa that is on track to meet the target of inoculating 40% of its population with at least one dose of the vaccine by the end of this year. LeNA/Metro