THE new normal has left many people gatvol.
The Covid-19 pandemic has seen many people lose their incomes, social lives and loved ones.
A new report by Consulta suggests that Covid-19 has come to be just another part of daily life and no longer interests people.
In a survey of 1 000 South Africans done between July and August, 52,3% of respondents said the government did not put enough measures in place to manage the spread of the virus.
The survey also found that the majority of people did not agree that closing public places and banning cigarettes and alcohol had stopped the spread of the virus.
The survey found that 58% of respondents had been fully vaccinated, while 25% said they had not been vaccinated but planned on doing so, while 17% indicated they did not plan to get the jab.
Marko Fourie of Consulta said: “There is also a marked decrease in interest in news sources about the pandemic from when the pandemic first arrived in South Africa, suggesting that people no longer care for information or news in many ways.”
The SunTeam went out to ask readers their views on the virus after almost two years of living with it.
Aubrey Makhubela (36) from Ivory Park, Ekurhuleni, said: “The Covid-19 restrictions are making things even harder because jobs have become more scarce. Although I feel lucky that I still have a job, they have reduced our working hours, meaning less pay but my responsibilities remain the same. I’m tired of this virus and don’t want to go back to a stricter lockdown. The country must just fully operate.”
Fumani Hlongwane (28) from nearby Tembisa said he lost loved ones to the virus.
“I only recently started a new job following my retrenchment, which happened at the beginning of the pandemic. Covid-19 is real and it kills but I also feel exhausted dealing with it. I urge people to vaccinate so we can put this virus behind us,” he said.
