​Rofhiwa Marubini 
Gauteng education has put systems in place to minimise COVID-19 infections in schools. 
This was announced by Gauteng MEC for Education, Panyaza Lesufi, during the tabling of the department's R53,4 billion budget for the 2021/2022 financial year.  
"We are monitoring the situation and await guidance and advice from our health experts. We remain open minded in taking whatever action that will assist to minimize the infections in our schools," said MEC Lesufi. 
Lesufi said the department has so far closed twenty schools due to CVID-19 infections, and infections amongst learners and educators has doubled. 
"To date, we have closed 20 schools due to reported COVID-19 cases. This year alone 1 077 educators tested positive and the number of learners who tested positive was almost double that (1 977)," he said.
MEC Lesufi said he is happy that the National Department of Health, jointly with the National Department of Basic Education, have resolved to vaccinate educators and staff as early as next month.
This comes as the province continues to record the highest number of COVID-19 infections in the country.
The department has put in place a number of measures to limit the transmission of COVID-19 in schools which include suspending contact sport and certain extra-curricular activities, as of May this year. 
"We have also intensified monitoring and insisted that schools timeously report all COVID-19 positive cases, including cluster outbreaks, in order to contain further spread of COVID-19", he said.
The department has again revised guidance to schools to ensure more rigorous application of the non-pharmaceutical interventions.