​Lerato Mailoane​
Gauteng has stepped up its efforts to register more people for the COVID-19 vaccination programme. This comes after the provincial government opened the Gauteng COVID-19 hotline to help elderly people to register for vaccination.
If you are a traditional healer or an elderly Gauteng resident you can now register for the life saving jab on 0800 Gauteng (4288364) or 0800 22 88 27 both numbers are toll free or you can email the Hotline on support@gauteng.gov.za or hotline@gauteng.gov.za.
When calling the hotline for assistance it is important to have the following information on hand:
Full names and surname
Identity or passport number
Home address
Cell phone number
Medical aid number if on medical aid
You can also register on the national COVID-19 WhatsApp number by sending "REGISTER" to 0600123456, or you can register by SMS by dialling *134*832*your ID number#. If you do not have an ID number just dial *134*832#. The services are zero rated and so you do not need data or airtime and you do not need a smartphone to be able to register by SMS. 
In the health weekly bulletin, Health Minister, Dr. Zweli Mkhize said Electronic Vaccination Data System (EVDS) will soon have its own dedicated call centre where the public can call with their queries, access essential information, report side effects and get advice. The public can also call the COVID-19 hotline on 0800 029 999. 
The Minister also encouraged healthcare workers, the elderly and traditional healers to register on the online portal.