Looting fuels Covid-19 infections, says Ramaphosa

Tarryn-Leigh Solomons

President Cyril Ramaphosa says the widespread looting seen in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng this past week is likely to fuel a further increase of Covid-19 infections.

The violence comes at a time when the country is faced with the third wave of the pandemic, which is said to be more severe than the first and second waves, with the Delta variant of Covid-19 spreading fast.

The vaccination roll-out was halted in KZN to ensure the safety of the public.

Statistics released by the department of health on Friday revealed that 15 939 new Covid-19 cases were reported along with 413 coronavirus-related deaths.

The majority of new cases were from Gauteng (38%), followed by Western Cape (19%) and Limpopo at 12% of new cases.

Acting Health Minister, Mmamoloko Kubayi-Ngubane, tweeted that as of Friday, 5 million people had been vaccinated.

Ramaphosa said the looting events have also disrupted the Covid-19 vaccination programme in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng just as it was gaining momentum.

To further mitigate the aftermath of the looting crisis, Ramaphosa assured that the government woukd help small businesses, including those in townships and rural areas, to heal from the damage they have suffered.

“Our business people provide important goods and services in our communities, and we will help them to rebuild their businesses.”