Inside Covid-19: What SA will look like in 2021; Govt vaccine plan latest; masks - why they work

President Cyril Ramaphosa announced tighter restrictions aimed at halting the rising rate of Covid-19 cases in the Eastern Cape, Western Cape, KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng. This includes the possibility of stiff fines and even time in jail for employers who do not insist that employees wear masks at all times. In this episode of Inside Covid-19, we pick up on some of the details of changes as South Africans sign off work for their festive season breaks. We speak to Discovery Health’s Dr Ronald Whelan, Chief Commercial Officer of Discovery Health and head of Discovery’s Covid-19 response team for an assessment of how SA has been managing the pandemic. Dr Whelan also provides an update on the importance of masks - as well as the roll-out of the vaccine in SA, particularly in the light of news that the Covid-19 virus has been mutating. He provides a fascinating glimpse of what Discovery’s data is telling us about the spread and severity of Covid-19. Dr Whelan warns us to expect at least another six months, and probably more, of navigating this disease. Also coming up: our partners at Bloomberg explore vaccine roll-out in the hemisphere.