Coronavirus vaccines: Government will not sanction anyone - Info Ministry denies claims

The Ministry of Information has issued a rejoinder to reports making rounds that the government intends to sanction persons who refuse to take the coronavirus vaccines.

Section 22 (1) of the Public Health Act, 2012, states that "The Minister may by executive instrument, generally or with reference to a particular district, area, or place or with respect to a particular class or classes of persons, order the persons to whom the instrument applies who do not produce satisfactory evidence of successful vaccination, to be vaccinated by a public vaccinator, unless in the opinion of the public vaccinator the vaccination would be injurious to health."

But in the statement signed by Public Relations Officer of the Ministry, Munira Karim, it stated that the "Government has neither taken nor announced any such decision."

It continued that, "For the avoidance of doubt, below is the quotation of the remarks by the Minister of Information at a press briefing in Peduase on Monday, March 8, 2021, when asked whether or not sanctions will be imposed on persons who refused the COVID-vaccines."

The statement concludes that the general public should disregard the false publications while encouraging the general populace to rather be encouraged to take the vaccines "to reduce the risk of severe COVID-19 illness."

Find the statement below: