By Tamlyn Canham
Exactly one year today South Africa recorded its first case of COVID-19.
A 38-year-old man from KwaZulu-Natal who travelled to Italy tested positive for the virus.
Shortly after, President Cyril Ramaphosa announced that the country would go into lockdown.
While many expected the lockdown to last a few weeks, 12 months later, SA and the rest of the world are still fighting the pandemic.
Health officials started the country’s vaccine rollout in late February after an initial hiccup.
The government secured one million AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines but learned the doses would be expiring sooner than expected.
The country’s vaccine rollout is back on track after officials secured vaccines from Johnson and Johnson.
City of Joburg vaccinates frontline workers
The City of Joburg’s healthcare workers are among the first to be vaccinated – fittingly on the one-year anniversary of South Africa’s first confirmed case.
“One year later, the City of Joburg is proud to announce that 16 of our frontline workers will be the first group of our essential workers to be vaccinated today. #VaccineRolloutSA #WeServeJoburg,” the city’s official Twitter account wrote.
Today is the anniversary of the 1st case of #COVID19 reported in South Africa. One year later, the City of Joburg is proud to announce that 16 of our frontline workers will be the first group of our essential workers to be vaccinated today ?? #VaccineRolloutSA #WeServeJoburg ^GZ pic.twitter.com/z4w96SwcxM
— City of Joburg (@CityofJoburgZA) March 5, 2021
The 16 frontline workers are from the city’s Health & Social Development and Joburg Public Safety departments.
They were vaccinated at the Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital.
The 16 City of Joburg frontline workers from our @CoJHealth and @CoJPublicSafety departments will be vaccinated today against #COVID19 at the Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital as per the country’s vaccine roll out plan #VaccineRolloutSA #SaferJoburg #WeServeJoburg ? ^GZ pic.twitter.com/lssk4U66Z1
— City of Joburg (@CityofJoburgZA) March 5, 2021
Excitement among frontline workers
The group of healthcare workers will be the first of many to get vaccinated over the coming weeks.
The City of Johannesburg says the vaccination will be administered in groups for crowd control purposes.
Langutani Rikhotso, a nurse at one of the city’s clinics, said she was happy to be getting the vaccine.
“I’m very excited because I am the first group to come. I’m encouraging others to come for vaccination for their own benefit.
“And it does not mean that if you are vaccinated you don’t follow the protocols for COVID-19. You wash your hands, you sanitise, you always wear a mask.”
WATCH: Langutani Rikhotso, Professional Nurse in the City of Joburg, is part of the #COJFirst16 getting vaccinated today ??? #WeServeJoburg #SaferJoburg #VaccineRolloutSA ^GZ pic.twitter.com/XjxLzY6dTm
— City of Joburg (@CityofJoburgZA) March 5, 2021
Here is a look at some of the other City of Joburg frontline workers who were vaccinated on Friday.
The City is proud of the #CoJFirst16 frontline workers who have chosen that they will be the first group from our essential workers to get vaccinated today ??????? #WeServeJoburg #SaferJoburg #VaccineRolloutSA #COVID19 ^GZ pic.twitter.com/8JeqXcwbVH
— City of Joburg (@CityofJoburgZA) March 5, 2021
WATCH: Nomathemba Mtshali, Director: Strategic Support @CityofJoburgEMS, part of the #CoJFirst16 frontline workers in the City of Joburg getting vaccinated today at Baragwanath Academic Hospital in Soweto #WeServeJoburg #SaferJoburg #VaccineRolloutSA ^GZ pic.twitter.com/dHFp2Mp5eu
— City of Joburg (@CityofJoburgZA) March 5, 2021
WATCH: @CoJPublicSafety Station Commander, Chicco Nyathi, one of the #CoJFirst16 gets his #COVID19 vaccination this morning at Baragwanath Academic Hospital #SaferJoburg #WeServeJoburg #VaccineRolloutSA ??? ^GZ pic.twitter.com/evVefbDr3C
— City of Joburg (@CityofJoburgZA) March 5, 2021
Kyle Swanepoel and Bongani Masando from @CityofJoburgEMS also get their #COVID19 vaccine jabs this morning at Baragwanath Academic Hospital ??? #CoJFirst16 #WeServeJoburg #SaferJoburg #VaccineRolloutSA ^GZ pic.twitter.com/8clCXGAJlW
— City of Joburg (@CityofJoburgZA) March 5, 2021
The procedure is that in the coming weeks more frontline workers will be vaccinated, for crowd control purposes the vaccination will be administered in groups and our #CoJFirst16 is part of the first group alongside other municipalities #WeServeJoburg #SaferJoburg ^GZ pic.twitter.com/9Yc1tatLtx
— City of Joburg (@CityofJoburgZA) March 5, 2021
Clifford Mokgatlhe, Paramedic @CityofJoburgEMS and Langutani Rikhotso, Professional Nurse based in Region B are part of the #CoJFirst16 getting vaccinated today #WeServeJoburg #SaferJoburg #VaccineRolloutSA ??? ^GZ pic.twitter.com/4aLZZFQIrB
— City of Joburg (@CityofJoburgZA) March 5, 2021



