​Lerato Mailoane
Gauteng Premier, David Makhura says while the government is increasing phases of vaccination COVID-19, it is also continuing with contact tracing and testing to lessen the impact of the third wave, when it comes. 
"While we implement Phase 1b of the Sisonke vaccination programme, we are also deploying tracking and tracing teams to areas which have been less affected. These are the likely to be the worst affected when the third wave hits," said Makhura during the Provincial Command council meeting on Friday, 7 May 2021.
He said government would channel resources towards areas with a greater risk.
"Government will concentrate on both infrastructure and simultaneously jerk up testing and tracing," he said.
Giving the province's update on the health infrastructure the Department of Health's head of health infrastructure, Dr Sifiso Maseko said the province had made 4 415 beds spaces available for COVID-19. The Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital, (CMJAH) fire affected 311 beds (221 at CMJAH and 90 at Discoverers Community Health Centre).
Currently, the province is utilising 4 064 functional beds, 3 261 for admissions and 803 quarantine and isolation (including 150 beds at newly opened Bronkhorstspruit Hospital).
Additional capacity amounting to 500 beds has been completed and equipped with Health Technology at Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital for future use.
On the plan to restore services at Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital, Dr Maseko said the facility would be opened in a phased approach giving priority to the safety of both staff and patients. 
On Vaccination readiness acting Head of Department, Nomsa Mmope said the province would start Phase 1b of the Sisonke vaccination programme on 17 May 2021.  
"Gauteng has received 61 600 doses for Phase 1b to complete the vaccination of healthcare workers with the Pfizer vaccine," she said.
As at 6 May 2021, Gauteng has vaccinated 90 346 health care workers under the Sisonke protocol.
At the end of the study, 111 918 HCW would have been vaccinated. The remaining 103 183 HCW will be vaccinated at the end of the programme
To date, 235 202 people have registered on Electronic Vaccination Data System (EVDS) out of a total of 626 248 nationally.