Health Minister Dr Joe Phaahla said on Friday that while vaccination mandates remain a difficult topic, the “undisputed fact” is that as more people vaccinate, the more economic and social activities will open up.

A team of senior South Africa government officials has been leading consultations with various stakeholders, including the National Economic Development and Labour Council, and they will be ready to report at the next National Coronavirus Command Council (NCCC) with recommendations.

South Africa recorded 1 853 new Covid-19 cases on Thursday and two deaths.

An additional 48 deaths were reported as part of an ongoing audit, increasing the confirmed death toll to 99 499.

To date, 17 081 913 adults are fully vaccinated. Among children aged 12 and older, 1 656 951 doses have been administered. The department has also administered 1 282 996 booster shots and 58 811 were in the last 24 hours.

In the last week, South Africa has seen a 20% reduction in new cases from 16 000 a week to 12 800 a week.

Gauteng province is still leading with 38.4% of new cases, followed by the Western Cape with 20% and KwaZulu-Natal with 15.5%.

In the past week, all provinces reported a decline in weekly incidence risk except for KwaZulu-Natal which showed no change.

Phaahla said his department had been hard at work revising its regulations to control notifiable infectious diseases and was ready to present at the next NCCC meeting.

“As the World Health Organisation has stated at various forums, two of which I attended this week, including yesterday, Covid-19 is not over, as can be seen from the global numbers and we must avoid reversing the hard earned gains we have made as we strive to end the pandemic,” he said.

He hopes that reviewed health regulations and reviewed regulations from other departments will assist in the guided reopening of various economic and social activities, especially in the leisure and tourism areas, with less risk of super spreaders.

The proposals will include amendments to travel requirements which could make it easier and cheaper to travel safely.

He said details would only be available after the discussions of the NCCC.

“We want to make a clarion call again to all South Africans that Covid-19 can be defeated if we all work together to protect ourselves and those around us with vaccination. One always feels very envious when participating in various international meetings and you hear fellow health ministers reporting vaccination coverages of between 70% to 90% and unlike in the past you cannot blame vaccine apartheid because you are sitting with sufficient stock including donations which are not being taken up,” the Minister stated.

He reminded South Africans that vaccines were proven to be safe and effective in preventing severe illness and death and he warned that beyond 2022 it would be difficult to interact with other nations without vaccination.

He is concerned that the country is far from reaching the 70% coverage required for population immunity.

He said the 60+ cohort remained the country’s best performers with 68% having been vaccinated.

The Free State province is still the leading province with 57.2% coverage. In terms of absolute numbers Gauteng is leading by far with 8.9-million doses administered to just over 5-million people, but coverage is at 45% owing to the province housing a big population.

He said the biggest drawback is the 18 to 34 age group with just 34% vaccination coverage and 29.3% full vaccination.

“We need at least another 5-million of this cohort to get to 60% coverage,” Phaahla said.