For Creamer Media in Johannesburg, I’m Thabi Madiba.

Making headlines: SAA plane departs to fetch more Covid-19 vaccines; Education department makes headway on national rollout of coding & robotics; And, extra ID needed after people pretend to be health workers to get the jab

SAA plane departs to fetch more Covid-19 vaccines

A South African Airways flight, scheduled to transport the country's next consignment of Covid-19 vaccines, departed the country on Wednesday night.

The A340 aircraft is expected to return on Saturday, said Louise Brugman, a spokesperson for Matuson & Associates, which is overseeing the embattled airline's business rescue.

She said SAA has been approached by the government to assist with the transportation of vaccines.

On Tuesday, Health Minister Zweli Mkhize announced in Parliament that 80 000 doses of the Johnson & Johnson Covid-19 vaccine were expected to arrive in the country on Saturday. These will be added to the first consignment of 80 000 doses of the same vaccine, which arrived on 16 February.

Education department makes headway on national rollout of coding & robotics

The Department of Basic Education is making headway on the national rollout of coding and robotics, with Grade R to 3 pupils from 200 schools to participate in pilot programme using a draft curriculum this year.

Grade 7 pupils from 1 000 schools will also be piloting the curriculum, President Cyril Ramaphosa announced during the Education Lekgotla today.

He noted that the draft coding and robotics curriculum had been submitted to education and training accreditation provider Umalusi for evaluation and quality assurance, adding that a draft curriculum would soon be gazetted.

And, extra ID needed after people pretend to be health workers to get the jab

Some people have fraudulently tried to pass themselves off as healthcare workers to get the Covid-19 vaccine.

The Western Cape Department of Health said this had been detected in some other provinces.

As a preventative measure in the province, healthcare workers will need to present a staff card, or some proof of registration when they arrive for their vaccinations.

That’s a roundup of news making headlines today

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