Makhura, Mokgethi head to the Vaal in bid to boost Gauteng’s Covid-19 vaccine drive

Gauteng Premier David Makhura and MEC for health in Gauteng Nomathemba Mokgethi will visit the Vaal University of Technology’s vaccine pop-up site on Friday. File picture: Nokuthula Mbatha/African News Agency (ANA)

Gauteng Premier David Makhura and MEC for health in Gauteng Nomathemba Mokgethi will visit the Vaal University of Technology’s vaccine pop-up site on Friday. File picture: Nokuthula Mbatha/African News Agency (ANA)

Published Sep 10, 2021

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Johannesburg - In a bid to intensify the vaccination programme in the Vaal, Gauteng Premier David Makhura and the provincial Health MEC Nomathemba Mokgethi will visit the Vaal University of Technology’s (VUT) vaccine pop-up site on Friday.

The Sedibeng District in Gauteng is one of the province’s regions which has seen a low uptake of the vaccine since the mass vaccination campaign started earlier this year.

The VUT vaccination pop-up site is allowing vaccinations for the university community as well as nearby residents in the Vanderbijlpark community in Sedibeng.

“The Gauteng provincial government, working with various partners, is committed to ensuring that the vaccination programme is accessible to the public within 5km of their residence. Wherever possible the vaccine must be taken to the people.

“The VUT pop-up vaccination site, which is opened to the university community and the public in surrounding areas in partnership with VUT, YFM, VUT FM and BEVSA, opened on Thursday, 9 September 2021 at 9am, and will operate until Saturday, 11 September 2021 at 3pm.

“The Gauteng Provincial Government (GPG) mobile vaccination team will be in the area to intensify the vaccination roll-out programme following the low uptake in the Sedibeng District Municipality and surrounding areas,” said the provincial Health spokesperson Vuyo Mhaga.

He said other MECs would visit vaccination sites across the province Ekurhuleni, Tshwane, Johannesburg and the West Rand District municipalities, conducting door-to-door operations, urging adults to get vaccinated.

The government continues to encourage all adults across the province to visit vaccination centres.

So far, over 3.6 million people have been vaccinated, while the virus has claimed the lives of over 18 931 people in the province.

According to the Department of Health, there were over 599 new infections of the virus on Thursday, while to date, over 886 059 people have recovered from the coronavirus.

The provincial government has called on all adults to get vaccinated at any vaccination site across the province as they all allow walk-ins.

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