In a massive effort to encourage the Eastern Cape communities to vaccinate,

Deputy President Mr. David Mabuza led the "Return to Play; It s in your hands” social mobilisation vaccination drive at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Gqeberha recently.

Eastern Cape Provincial Government, led by Premier Lubabalo Oscar Mabuyane joined the he Deputy President in the campaign, Return to Play, it s in your hands”, which aims to call on all communities to get vaccinated so that sport and arts activities can get back to normal and allow audiences to physically attend in their numbers. After the event at the Nelson Mandela Bay 2010 Stadium, the Premier, Deputy President, Minister and the MECs visited the Vaccination Pop-Up Site at Ke Nako Shopping Mall at KwaZakhele Township.

This is the third Vooma Vaccination Weekend campaign in the Province with the first held in Mthatha focussing on the elderly and the second one in Kariega focusing on the youth.

We meet on this day in the province of the Eastern Cape, which is known for producing and sharing with the world, many legends be it in art, literature, music, drama, sport and or struggle for freedom and democracy.

It is no coincidence that immediately after the historic local government elections held just last week, our campaign to mobilise society to vaccinate in order to return to play, is held in this province that has in many ways, led the way and contributed to human progress”.

The recently held elections, were significant in many ways and were held under extra-ordinary circumstances dictated to by the advent of the Covid-19 pandemic” Deputy President said during his keynote address at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium.

The campaign is in-line with the national government Vooma Vaccination Weekend drive call aimed at generating support and increase vaccination uptake on specific weekends. Deputy President encouraged all citizens to work in partnership across all sectors and win the Covid-19 battle. We also call on the traditional leaders, traditional health practitioners and the religious sector in this province, to join us and work with government in taking the campaign forward. Just as we have done in the last two weeks waiting in queues at many voting stations across the breadth and length of our country to vote, this too is time to make a choice and play our part of saving lives and livelihoods” he mentioned .

We have since the start of the national vaccination programme, which is now 179 days, administered more than 23 million vaccines to more than 15, 6 million people. We do know that 2.4 million of these doses were administered in this province. If we are to consider modelling and projections used towards the attainment of population immunity by the end of December 2021, the Eastern Cape should have administered over 3.5 million doses since the start of the vaccination programme” Deputy President added.

Mabuza also encouraged people to go to their nearest vaccination sites and do what is good for their health, the well-being of their families and the prosperity of the country. He also emphasized the impact of vaccination in sport and arts activities, as they can get back to normal and allow audiences to physically attend in their numbers. It is possible to return to arenas for boxing games and other stadia for cricket and rugby games. It is possible to go back to Africa s largest cultural event, the Grahamstown National Arts Festival. All it takes is for us to fully vaccinate” Deputy President alluded.