Wild Coast Sun opens second hospitality vaccine site in the country

CAPTION: Eastern Cape Health MEC, Nomakhosazana Meth at the launch of the Wild Coast Sun Vaccination Site this week.

Wild Coast Sun, Sun International’s seaside jewel, is opening up the second hospitality vaccination site in the country to assist government in vaccinating as many South Africans as possible against the deadly coronavirus.

With two vaccinators on site, each of which can vaccinate 50 people per day, Wild Coast Sun is initially targeting providing jabs to 100 people a day for the first week. This will allow the resort to monitor attendance, before ramping up.

CAPTION: Nurses at the Wild Coast Sun Vaccination Site

Wild Coast Sun will also benefit from this initiative, which will ensure that some 600 workers and contractors can have their inoculations without the need to travel to the next nearest available centre.

Those over 60 and members of the public arriving for their second shot of the Pfizer vaccine will be prioritised. Wild Coast Sun General Manager, Peter Tshidi, says “This project, in conjunction with the Eastern Cape Department of Health, aims to expand access to life-giving vaccines”.

Wild Coast Sun is the first hospitality establishment in the Eastern Cape to avail itself to government as a vaccination centre and the second such resort to offer vaccinations after Sun City, another Sun International property.

The popular Sun International resort will follow the government roll out plan in terms of age groups. According to the 2011 Census, the targeted Winnie Madikizela- Mandela Local Municipality has a population of around 350,000. However, the people who live in this community live in a rural environment, with only 60% having access to electricity, and households of five people or more.

Although citizens are still encouraged to register on the government’s rollout site, Wild Coast Sun will be accepting walk ins, who will receive the jab once those who have registered have already been catered for. Medical aid is not a requirement to become vaccinated.

The vaccination centre was launched on 11 August 2021, with officials from the provincial health department in attendance. Zak Mbethe, CEO of Oliver and Adelaide Tambo Regional Hospital said that “such partnerships between government and the private sector show that, when we join forces, we can have a bigger and more meaningful impact on our communities”.

Although Wild Coast Sun falls under the Eastern Cape, those on the border between the province and adjacent KwaZulu-Natal will also be able to receive vaccinations at the resort.

The site will be open on weekdays between 08h30 and 18h00 and will initially run for six weeks.

CAPTION: Peter Tshidi, General Manager, Wild Coast Sun (above) and Chief Lunga Baleni (below) speaking at the launch of the Wild Coast Sun Vaccination Site this week.