The Gauteng education department has unveiled plans to vaccinate 125,934 education sector workers, including teachers from both public and private schools, support staff and officials, at 61 vaccination sites across the province.
During a virtual meeting with principals on Tuesday, Gauteng education MEC Panyaza Lesufi and officials from his department outlined the vaccination rollout plan which officially starts on Wednesday.
Nationally, a total of more than 582,000 education sector personnel will be able to receive their vaccinations from Wednesday until July 8.
At least 3,400 jabs per day are planned for Johannesburg — the largest of the five education districts in Gauteng — which has 44,998 staff.
The district will be serviced by 85 vaccinators and the vaccination programme is scheduled to take place over 12 days.
Tshwane, which has 29,464 staff, will be manned by 121 vaccinators who will give 3,630 jabs per day at 21 sites. The vaccination programme in Tshwane is expected to take nine days.
Ten vaccination sites have been earmarked for Ekurhuleni, which will be manned by 80 vaccinators who are expected to give 3,400 jabs per day over 10 days. A total of 31,037 staff in Ekurhuleni are being targeted.
Principals were informed that the districts will develop a schedule for a percentage of staff to go to the vaccination site.
“The school has to ensure that teaching and learning are not disrupted and there is no overcrowding at the vaccination site.”
Principals were told that priority should be given to personnel with comorbidities, managers and organised labour.
Principals were told that priority should be given to personnel with comorbidities, managers and organised labour.
Teachers will have to make their own transport arrangements to the vaccination sites, while 100,000 free rides are being offered by Uber in the metros across the country.
On Wednesday, Lesufi will be vaccinated at the Rabasotho community hall in Tembisa, where basic education minister Angie Motshekga and representatives of teacher unions will also be in attendance to mark the start of the vaccination programme.
Western Cape education spokesperson Bronagh Hammond confirmed to Sunday Times Daily that the provincial education MEC Debbie Schäfer will also be launching the vaccine rollout programme on Wednesday.
She said that while vaccinations will start at sites in the metro on Wednesday, the rollout will only take place at rural sites from June 25.
North West health MEC Madoda Sambatha said on Tuesday that they were ready to vaccinate teachers at 26 health facilities across the province.
The Northern Cape has identified 16,100 education sector workers for vaccination at 29 sites across the province.
Meanwhile, Dannhauser Secondary School in northern KwaZulu-Natal informed parents through a Facebook post that it will be closed on Wednesday, as teachers will be receiving their vaccinations.
“Teaching and learning will be affected due to no educators being present at school. Parents are advised to use discretion with regard to the attendance of your child. Normal teaching will resume on June 24,” advised the post.
Motshekga said during a media briefing on Saturday that teachers with comorbidities will not be allowed to work from home once they are vaccinated.
“We will expect everybody to come back whether you have comorbidities or not.”
Asked whether her stance would trigger a backlash from teachers, she said: “If there’s any difficulty in any area, I am confident we will be able to resolve it amicably. For us it’s a joint programme with them (teacher unions) and if there are difficulties, we will find a solution together.”
The acting director general of basic education, Granville Whittle, said at the same briefing that teachers with comorbidities who are working from home and who refuse to be vaccinated will have to return to school.
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