Motshekga to request deadline extension for Basic Education jab campaign
Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga says she will ask the Health Department for an extension to the vaccination campaign in the education sector.
The department has inoculated 400 000 educators since the vaccination drive began two weeks ago.
Motshekga says the extension will allow the department to vaccinate those who have not yet received the jab.
“We initially targeted 582,000 people in the sector but we have now loaded on the EVDS system 789,554 who include food handlers, janitors, and support staff from independent schools and ECD centres located within school premises. Yesterday and today we are finalizing the data upload and confirming with provinces that all the additional people can now be vaccinated,” she said in Midrand on Wednesday.
All primary school pupils will be back in school full-time at the end of the month as the department tries to complete an academic year that has suffered multiple disruptions due to Covid-19.
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Motshekga says the department also expects all teachers, including those with comorbidities, to return to work.
“We have 16,000 teachers who have been on special leave due to the fact that they have comorbidities. We have discussed this matter with the teacher unions, and all 5, that are part of the ELRC, are in full support of this position.
“There will be no need for the department to develop any additional policies during this period, because it already has sufficient policies in place to address the current situation of the pandemic and while the vaccination process is being implemented.”
