Durban: With just over 100,000 teachers vaccinated throughout the country against the Covid-19 virus in the past two days, the Department of Basic Education (DBE) says that the numbers are likely to increase once all provinces get on board.
Department spokesperson Elijah Mhlanga said in a statement on Friday that 105,000 teachers across seven provinces have received the Johnson & Johnson shot since Wednesday.
Mhlanga said that it has set a target of 582,000 teachers and staff who are to be inoculated against the Covid-19 virus by July 8.
He said that once the Western Cape and Limpopo commence vaccinations from Friday, these numbers will increase.
Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga along with Limpopo Premier Chupu Mathabatha and Member of the Executive Council (MEC) for Education Polly Boshielo will kick off the vaccination programme at Pietersburg Hospital in Polokwane on Friday.
“The Department of Health has this morning announced that more Johnson & Johnson doses have arrived in the country. The department has assured the sector (education) that there will be enough vaccine doses for everybody in the basic education sector as initially announced,” Mhlanga said.
KwaZulu-Natal continues to lead with 32% of its target population vaccinated, ahead of Mpumalanga with 26% and the North West with 22%.
A total of 570,000 people in KZN have received either the Pfizer or Johnson & Johnson vaccine as of Thursday, according to the KZN MEC for Health Nomagugu Simelane-Zulu.
KZN recorded 917 new cases on Thursday and ranks second in the country in terms of laboratory-confirmed cases, with 348,604, the Health Department confirmed.
The province ranks fourth in terms of mortality rate, with 10,633 deaths, behind the Eastern Cape, Gauteng and the Western Cape.
Simelane-Zulu warned that once Covid-19 infections reach 1,000 per day, the numbers are going to increase exponentially.
“As the province is fast approaching the third wave, we are appealing to the people of the province that, where possible, let's stay home and continue to adhere to non-pharmaceutical protocols by ensuring the wearing of masks, social distancing and washing of hands/sanitise and get your vaccine as soon as possible when your chance comes,” Simelane-Zulu said on Thursday.
African News Agency