Ntombela’s spokesperson, Sello Pietersen, tells OFM News that necessary work has already been done with vaccination and distribution sites already identified. He says premier Ntombela will on Wednesday 10 February 2021 also reveal details around how many healthcare workers, both from the public and private sector, will be vaccinated. The healthcare workers in the Free State will be amongst those across the country receiving India's vaccine as part of the first phase of rolling it out to frontline workers.

Previously, in November 2020, the Provincial Department of Health's technical expert, Dr Helen Motloung, told OFM News that a total of 42 healthcare workers had succumbed to coronavirus-related complications since the outbreak out of the virus in the province in early March.

Motloung, at that time, further indicated that over 3 580 healthcare workers were infected by the virus and over 3 000 of them had recovered. Ntombela is expected to be flanked by MEC Montseng Tsiu and other members of the provincial Covid-19 command team at around 10:00 at Bophelo House in Bloemfontein.

According to the latest statistics by Dr Zweli Mkhize, the Free State has 8,884 active cases after 65,169 patients recovered from the virus, with 2,774 deaths recorded from 76,827 cumulative cases. On Wednesday, Mkhize announced that 398 more Covid-19 related deaths have been reported countrywide with the Free State confirming 12 deaths.

OFM News