Cabinet has announced the extension of the COVID-19 Sisonke Vaccination Rollout Programme to 54 vaccine sites across the country. Acting Minister in the Presidency, Khumbudzo Ntshavheni, made the announcement following Wednesday’s cabinet meeting.
The first phase will target inoculating 15 million healthcare workers by the end of next month.
Ntshavheni says government will implement phase two between May and October and the third and final phase between November and February next year.
Ntshavheni says so far more than 207 800 people have been vaccinated through the programme.
#COVID19 Statistics in SA as at 24 March.
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“Cabinet would like to assure South Africans of the capacity of the Department of Health in partnership with the private health sector to undertake a mass vaccine rollout in phase two and phase three and therefore we are confident that if the availability of vaccines continue and are guaranteed by the pharmaceutical companies the country will be on track to meet its vaccination programme,” says the Acting Minister in the Presidency.
Ntshavheni says government, business and labour have been meeting to ensure that no essential workers are left out of phase two of the COVID-19 vaccination programme.
“Essential workers are defined in this country, they include teachers and they have been defined from the onset they include teachers, they include police officers they include soldiers they include a category of essential workers that have been there but in addition to that there is an engagement at NEDLAC level to make sure that the classification of essential workers is agreed with labour business and communities that are represented at NEDLAC to make sure that no category of essential workers is excluded from there.”
Minister Ntshavheni’s briefing on outcomes of Cabinet Meeting held on 24 March:
