Insurer Liberty has opened its head office in Braamfontein to the public as a vaccination site in a bid to assist the government in accelerating the vaccination of South Africans against COVID-19.
Liberty's central position in Braamfontein will allow people living in the inner-city and surrounding areas easy access to register and receive vaccinations.
The vaccinations will be administered by Liberty's medical partner, Dis-chem, whose trained staff are equipped to provide an efficient and safe service for those wanting to get vaccinated. Liberty is an active supporter of efforts by Business for South Africa (B4SA) in the fight against COVID-19.
Statistics from the Gauteng Health Department show that central Johannesburg has been particularly hard-hit by the pandemic, due in part to the high population density of the area.
Liberty's offices provide a convenient, recognisable point in the city that most people living there can get to, where they can receive free vaccinations without resorting to travelling further into suburban Johannesburg.
"We want to use our position in central Johannesburg to reach out to people living here and offer them a safe environment to come and get themselves vaccinated. We at Liberty have always been proud to be part of central Johannesburg and we want to show residents that we are all in it together," says Liberty's Chief Risk Officer, Philip Harrison.
"The site is ready, and we are encouraging people to come and get vaccinated as soon as they are eligible, this helps break the chain of transmission by making more people resistant to this disease. When we protect ourselves, we are in fact protecting everyone around us, including our family members, friends and colleagues."
Liberty will provide a safe environment, and this includes free underground parking in the Libridge building at the Melle Street entrance for those travelling by car, and there is visible signage from different streets in the vicinity, for those within walking distance. All COVID-19 protocols will be adhered to.
Well-marked Liberty shuttles will operate to and from Park Station for people arriving by train. The shuttles are free and will be operating from 06h30 to 19h30. There will be a shuttle leaving every 15 minutes from Park Station.
The opening of Liberty's head office is part of the government's plans to massively ramp up its vaccination campaign, which so far is catering for people from the age of 50 upwards.
With the announcement of registrations for the 35-49-year-old group, they too will be welcome in line with the government's timeline.
Gauteng Health MEC, Dr Nomathemba Mokgethi, expressed Provincial Government’s gratitude to Liberty for joining them in their vaccination rollout programme.
"It is important to acknowledge that the fight against COVID-19 requires all sectors of society to play their part. The contribution of companies such as Liberty in this battle is crucial as it will help us ensure the accessibility of vaccines to more people.
“We want to appeal to all eligible people to make use of this opportunity to get vaccinated. Each vaccination brings us one step closer to a better future and to getting our lives back to normal,” says Dr Mokgethi.
In addition, she reiterated the call for Gauteng residents to continue observing COVID-19 safety measures of wearing a mask, keeping a safe physical distance from each other and washing hands regularly with soap or hand sanitiser to protect yourself and those around you.
The centre will cater for everyone, whether they are medical aid members, Liberty clients or not. While the centre will accept walk-ins, including a facility to register people on the Electronic Vaccination Data System, everyone is encouraged to pre-register.
Vaccines will be administered in the Libridge building at 25 Ameshoff Street, Braamfontein from 08h00 to 18h00, Monday to Friday.
Stringent security measures have been taken to ensure the safety of those vaccinating at our site.
The site officially opened on Monday,19 July.
For more information visit https://www.liberty.co.za/vaccination-site-faqs or contact the COVID-19 National Crisis Hotline on 0800 029 999
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