No banning of alcohol to unvaccinated people in Pretoria, mayor assures

Tshwane mayor Randall Williams is not considering banning the sale of alcohol to unvaccinated residents, but says it would be ideal for people to get jabbed to prevent the spread of Covid-19 in gatherings where alcohol is consumed. His spokesperson, Sipho Stuurman, said on Thursday that contrary to reports, Williams would never support such a stance. 

“Most definitely the city and mayor would never advise that you can’t buy alcohol if you’re not vaccinated,” said Stuurman. He added that it is advisable for those attending gatherings to ensure they are fully jabbed.

“These are going to be potential super spreader events and so it is advisable that anyone who is attending such an event is fully vaccinated. Currently, in various parts of the world, dancing clubs, music events, entertainment and recreational facilities are implementing measures to ensure that attendees are fully vaccinated.

“It is not a particularly controversial notion, as it will assist in encouraging increased levels of vaccination,” said Stuurman. 

In a report by eNCA, Williams was quoted as having said that SA should, in future, implement vaccine passports for unvaccinated citizens who want to attend events. “In the future, if we open up sports events, we should only allow people who have been vaccinated to attend those sports events and I would even go as far as to say if people want to buy alcohol they must come show their vaccination certificate otherwise they must just stay without alcohol,” said Williams. 

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