Last checked at 
(Updates with EFF march)
JOHANNESBURG, June 25 (Reuters) - Several thousand
supporters of a leftist party demonstrated outside the offices
of South Africa's health regulator on Friday to protest against
the slow coronavirus vaccine roll-out in Africa's worst-hit
country.
The protesters from the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) held
aloft placards and flags but few wore protective masks, a
Reuters photographer said.
Their march to the offices defied rules meant to curb a
third wave of infections. They demanded that Russian and Chinese
vaccines be authorised to speed up the vaccination process.
Officials said that South Africa - which has recorded more
than 1.8 million COVID-19 cases and more than 59,000 deaths -
aimed to double daily vaccinations in the next month.
Acting health minister Mmamoloko Kubayi-Ngubane said at a
news conference that it was irresponsible to hold marches and
other large gatherings while infections were surging.
South Africa's immunisation efforts were set back by the
revelation that AstraZeneca's vaccine is much less
effective against the dominant local coronavirus variant, and
the government subsequently found it hard to access supplies
from other manufacturers.
So far, only 2.5 million vaccinations have been administered
using either the one-shot Johnson & Johnson (J&J)
vaccine or the two-shot Pfizer alternative, out of a
population of 60 million people.
Nicholas Crisp, a senior health official, said more than
100,000 people had been vaccinated per day in the last two days
and the target for next week was 150,000 a day. The aim for
mid-July was 200,000, and 250,000 by the end of that month.
"The president has asked us to chase a target of 300,000 a
day," he said.
Kubayi-Ngubane said Pfizer had delivered nearly 4.5 million
vaccine doses in the second quarter and had committed to provide
just over 15.5 million doses in the third quarter.
J&J has delivered 500,000 shots for a research study
targeting healthcare workers, 300,000 last week and 1.2 million
on Thursday, Kubayi-Ngubane said.
A further 500,000 J&J doses are expected soon, but the
timing is not yet confirmed.
"With this flow of vaccines, we will be able to press ahead
with the vaccination of frontline workers sector by sector," she
said.
South Africa has started immunising health workers, those
aged over 60 years and education sector employees. From July 15
the over-50s will start getting the vaccine, she said.
(Reporting by Alexander Winning and Akhona Matshoba in
Johannesburg, and Siphiwe Sibeko in Pretoria, editing by Louise
Heavens and Angus MacSwan)
