News / National
Gweru school records 20 Covid-19 cases
29 Nov 2020 at 15:59hrs | Views
THERE seems to be no end in sight to the increasing cases of Covid-19 at local learning institutions after Anderson High School in Gweru recorded 20 new positive cases.
Ever since schools reopened in September for examination classes after a long lay-off, not a single day is going by without a report of confirmed cases as Zimbabwe is in the midst of a second wave of the pandemic.
The school which has a total enrolment of 394 students received 14 results of Covid-19 on Friday in which 13 tested positive and only one tested negative and as of yesterday, the figure had risen to 20 with 14 girls and six boys.
Midlands Provincial Affairs minister Larry Mavima said precautionary measures have been taken to contain the spread of the novel virus at the school.
"Immediate action has been taken by the Health and Child Care ministry which is to separate the affected students from the rest.
"Negative day scholars are quarantined in their homes since yesterday after screening and boarding scholars have been separated into different hostels which is how they will write exams also.
"The positive ones and all who are showing symptoms will write separately from the negative ones," Mavima said.
Zimbabwe's learning institutions have, since last week, been hit by the lethal pandemic with schools such as John Tallach in Matabeleland South recording 189 cases while in Mashonaland West Province, Chinhoyi High School's infections have gone up to 65.
On the other hand, Matopo High School in Matabeleland South has 10 positive cases while David Livingstone Primary School in Harare recorded a single case yesterday.
Positive cases have also been reported at Chinhoyi University of Technology and Midlands State University.
In total, the country has recorded 9 398 positive cases while 274 have lost their lives since March.
Despite the high prevalence rate of Covid-19 cases in schools, the government has refused to stop lessons and forthcoming public examinations that are set to commence on Tuesday. Responding to legislators, who accused the government of not being proactive in its Covid-19 fight, leader of government business in Parliament Ziyambi Ziyambi last week said schools must implement the standard operation procedure given to them by the Primary and Secondary Education ministry.
However, health experts and teachers'unions have a different view and want the government to reconsider the decision.
Ever since schools reopened in September for examination classes after a long lay-off, not a single day is going by without a report of confirmed cases as Zimbabwe is in the midst of a second wave of the pandemic.
The school which has a total enrolment of 394 students received 14 results of Covid-19 on Friday in which 13 tested positive and only one tested negative and as of yesterday, the figure had risen to 20 with 14 girls and six boys.
Midlands Provincial Affairs minister Larry Mavima said precautionary measures have been taken to contain the spread of the novel virus at the school.
"Immediate action has been taken by the Health and Child Care ministry which is to separate the affected students from the rest.
"Negative day scholars are quarantined in their homes since yesterday after screening and boarding scholars have been separated into different hostels which is how they will write exams also.
"The positive ones and all who are showing symptoms will write separately from the negative ones," Mavima said.
On the other hand, Matopo High School in Matabeleland South has 10 positive cases while David Livingstone Primary School in Harare recorded a single case yesterday.
Positive cases have also been reported at Chinhoyi University of Technology and Midlands State University.
In total, the country has recorded 9 398 positive cases while 274 have lost their lives since March.
Despite the high prevalence rate of Covid-19 cases in schools, the government has refused to stop lessons and forthcoming public examinations that are set to commence on Tuesday. Responding to legislators, who accused the government of not being proactive in its Covid-19 fight, leader of government business in Parliament Ziyambi Ziyambi last week said schools must implement the standard operation procedure given to them by the Primary and Secondary Education ministry.
However, health experts and teachers'unions have a different view and want the government to reconsider the decision.
Source - dailynews
