The industry body said the city has lost up to R2 billion as a result of heightened lockdown restrictions ushered in over the December holiday period.

The city’s official tourism body released a report on Friday detailing that just under 12,000 job losses were also recorded over this time as a result of tighter lockdown rules introduced on 28 December.

The National Health Department said that more than 400,000 health workers had so far registered to receive the vaccine.

Sister Zoliswa Gidi-Dyosi was in high spirits and said she did not have any side-effects after being vaccinated on Wednesday.

They were inoculated at Khayelitsha District Hospital on Wednesday.

South Africa has taken a big step in the fight against COVID-19 with a vaccination plan conceived weeks ago delivering the first inoculations at the Khayelitsha District Hospital in the Western Cape.

President Cyril Ramaphosa was among the first group of people to be vaccinated with the single-dose Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine in Khayelitsha on Wednesday.

Wednesday is a historic day for the country after a hiccup with the initial plan to start the vaccination programme.

The country’s first citizen is with of a group of health workers being vaccinated at the Khayelitsha District Hospital in Cape Town on Wednesday.

Eighty thousand of the single-dose vaccines arrived at OR Tambo International Airport on Tuesday.

The rollout, due to take place from Wednesday, would be coordinated through the Sisonke open-label COVID-19 vaccine programme.

In a local Phase 2b clinical trial, the Novavax vaccine has shown a 60% efficacy in preventing mild, moderate and severe COVID-19 in HIV-negative participants. The vaccine also showed efficacy against the 501Y.V2 coronavirus variant, according to Professor Shabir Madhi.

Twelve people on Friday appeared in court in connection with corruption linked to Nelson Mandela's memorial service, including Eastern Cape Health MEC Sindisiwe Gomba.

The accused, one of whom is Eastern Cape Health MEC Sindiswa Gomba, face charges relating to corruption, money laundering, fraud and contravention of the Municipal Finance Management Act.

They include Buffalo City municipality employees, business people and politicians.

South Africa has secured 9 million doses of the J&J vaccine with the first consignment of 80,000 vials expected to arrive in the country next week.

During phase one, the province expects to administer the vaccine to an estimated 132,000 health care workers.

Provincial Head of Health, Dr Keith Cloete, said that despite a drop in the number of COVID-19 cases being recorded, there was still significant pressure on the health system.