Dr Mvuyisi Mzukwa , Vice-chairperson the SA Medical Association (Sama)

First Thing is First | The Department of Health says it is not yet clear when the fifth wave will hit us. This is as Covid-19 numbers continue to rise sharply South Africa’s daily coronavirus test positivity rate neared a record, rising above 30% on Saturday for the first time in almost five months as two sublineages of the omicron variant spread rapidly ahead of the nation’s winter season. The possible fifth wave  will come just as winter starts and just after the country ended its more than two-year National State of Disaster. The positivity rate is taken as an indicator of how fast the disease is spreading through the community as many cases go undetected. While the government now no longer has the ability to broadly override the rights of citizens, it has implemented new health legislation that will require proof of vaccination or negative tests for some gatherings and the continued wearing of masks in indoor spaces. The levels of vaccine hesitancy, especially among the youth, are highly concerning and we have recently seen Covid-19 outbreaks in some local schools   Guest: Dr Mvuyisi Mzukwa , Vice-chairperson the SA Medical Association (Sama)