Johannesburg - A free drive-through Covid-19 vaccination site is set to be launched on Friday at Zwartkops Raceway in Centurion.
With South Africa’s Covid-19 vaccination programme starting to pick up pace, numerous vaccination sites – including drive-through sites – have materialised.
This Friday at 9am the Centurion community, in partnership with the Gauteng Provincial Government, will launch its newest site, but this time at the Zwartkops Raceway, a car racing track outside Laudium and Erasmia.
“We are planning to have the Johnson & Johnson and Pfizer vaccines available. Details will be released later this week,” said pharmacist co-site manager Muhammed Zaakir Essack on Monday. Other site managers are Dr Khatija Ahmed and Ahmed Ismail.
The new site, where vaccination is free and caters to everyone, whether they have medical aid or not, will be open from Mondays to Thursdays and Saturdays from 9am until 3pm.
The site spokesperson and social cohesion advocate, Yusuf Abramjee, said the site would also be open on Fridays from 2pm to 4pm.
“We appeal to everyone over the age of 35 who has not been vaccinated to come over. We are hoping to provide a fast and efficient service. There is no need for appointments. We will also be giving vaccines to those who need a second jab,” Abramjee said.
He added that over 18s would be able to get their jabs from September 1.
“The model is based on the very successful Muslim Association of SA drive-through at the Houghton Masjid in Johannesburg. On average, 800 people are vaccinated a day,” said Abramjee.
He said several local doctors and organisations, including Laudium Disaster Management, had come out in support of the drive-through vaccination site, and that the project would be overseen by other executive members, Zaheer Abramjee, Dr Satar Aboobaker, Fatima Juma and Ziyaad Suliman.
The site is also calling for doctors, paramedics, nurses, pharmacists, data capturers and admin personnel, as well as students in these fields, to volunteer their time at the site.
“We would like to thank attorney Wahab Jaffer, a director of Zwartkops Raceway, for facilitating the use of the facility at no cost, as well as Vision Tactical for security, Affinity Hire for the tents, Pansula in Sunderland Ridge for the PPE suits, and Aadil Kalla for the vitamins to be given out to those taking the jab,” Abramjee said.
He also thanked the premier of Gauteng, the health MEC and officials for the partnership.
The Star