By Kaya 959 Reporter
Government is looking at innovative ways to get people to vaccinate. Health Minister Dr. Joe Phaahla said they were considering ‘soft incentives’ to encourage more people to sign up for the COVID-19 vaccine.
“We are exploring free entertainment, sports events such as soccer games and cultural events that people will be able to attend if they agree to be vaccinated,” he said.
Phaahla accompanied Gauteng health MEC, Nomathemba Mokgethi and US Embassy officials to a briefing at the Chris Hani Baragwanath hospital. He added that it was the government’s duty to get people vaccinated.
Premier David Makhura said local government is working closely with civil society, various organisations and state institutions. He added that they are going to ramp up vaccination programmes.
Makhura said the mobile vaccination team will be at the Vaal University of Technology at the Vanderbijlpark campus between 9 and 11 September.
Sedibeng District not performing well
Makhura said officials took a decision to take the vaccination rollout programme to the Sedibeng District after it noted that the region was not performing well.
There will also be pop-up rollout sites at VUT’s Isak Steyl Stadium, Playfair Boulevard, C.E.6 and Vanderbijlpark that will run between 9am and 3pm on all three days.
“When more people get vaccinated, the quicker the country can return to a normal life. We have seen a semblance of normality in countries where the mass population has been vaccinated,” Makhura said.
All persons aged 18 and over are encouraged to visit the pop-up vaccination site to receive the jab.
Makhura said COVID-19 vaccines protect against severe illness, hospitalisation and death in the event that one contracts the coronavirus.
Gauteng needs to vaccinate 10 million people by mid-December 2021 to accelerate economic activity.
“With the country expeted to enter a fourth wave of the virus in November, we need to get as many people vaccinated in order to minimise the impact,” he said.
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