Covid-19 infections are on the increase in schools with the number of students that have tested positive at John Tallach High School in Matabeleland North having risen to 115, while new cases have also been reported at Prince Edward High School in Harare.
Vice President Constantino Chiwenga yesterday said
Government is worried about the spike in Covid-19 cases at schools.
VP Chiwenga, who is also the Minister of Health and Child
Care, said at John Tallach, it is suspected that a pupil attended a funeral in
South Africa and contracted Covid-19 before returning to school.
The VP said Government is still investigating the source of
Covid-19 at Prince Edward but did not give the number of recorded cases.
Addressing teachers and senior Government officials at
Thornhill Primary School in Gweru, where he had gone to donate Covid-19
personal protective equipment to teachers, pupils and their parents, the VP
said the Inter-Ministerial Task Force on Covid-19 will go around the country
holding meetings with community leaders on the need for vigilance in the fight
against the pandemic.
“I could have addressed the schoolchildren but because of
the spike which has visited us, we have over 100 pupils affected at John
Tallach Secondary School and so far, investigations tell us that one of the
pupils went to attend a funeral in South Africa and the child came back and
joined other children.
“We also have another spike in Harare at Prince Edward High
School and we are still investigating the source of the spike. We are going
through a very difficult time, not only as a country but as the entire world
because of the Covid-19 pandemic,” he said.
“You can only be productive if you are healthy. So, the
Ministry of Health and Child Care officials will be going around the country
spreading the gospel of following WHO rules and regulations to mitigate against
the spread of Covid-19.
“We also have the Ad-Hoc Inter-Ministerial Task Force
chaired by the Minister of Defense and Veterans, that committee will soon be
moving around the country educating our leaders from the village, councilors,
MPs, everybody in the community so that intern you also do the same.”
He urged the police to be on the lookout for people who go
in public places without face masks or are not practicing social distancing.
VP Chiwenga also urged members of the public to effect
citizen’s arrest on fellow citizens who break Covid-19 rules and regulations
for their own safety and protection against the virus.
“Its high time the law takes its course, the police have to
be harsh and all of you, you have the powers of citizen arrest. People have
relaxed completely; they think everything is now okay and do as they please.
There are also face shields which one can put on and if one is going to
delicate areas put on gloves, you are going into a hospital or funeral, put on
gloves,” he said.
Acting Matabeleland North provincial medical director (PMD)
Dr Munekayi Padingani said at John Tallach High School, infected students have
risen to 115.
“Our first strategy was to test symptomatic pupils. We are
done with that and we moved to those who were not sick but on Wednesday some
pupils came saying they were feeling symptomatic and we tested them, yesterday
we were doing those who were not symptomatic,” he said.
“We want to test all of them but the problem is that if you
test all of them, those who are going to be negative but were close contacts of
the positive case, they can become positive latter on. We are waiting for
results sent for tests done on Wednesday. For now, we have 115 positive cases.”
Dr Padingani appealed to well-wishers to assist the school
with PPEs.
“The ministry of education supplied rice and mealie meal
but we need more with relish. We also need surgical masks because the school is
now a red zone, cloth masks are not required. They all need to use surgical
masks and that is one mask per day. Imagine they are around 600 pupils, so we
need that number of surgical masks per day for the duration of the quarantine
and isolation,” he said.
“We also need sanitizers for every pupil and teacher. We
have to disinfect the school premises like toilets and other rooms two times a
day. That is our priority. Those who want to donate PPEs can bring to my office
at Mhlahlandlela then we will take it there since no one is allowed at the
school,” said Dr Padingani.
Parents whose children learn at John Tallach yesterday held
a meeting following the outbreak at the school.
John Tallach Secondary School’s Development Committee (SDC)
representative Mr Zibusiso Ncube said apart from lockdown at the institution, a
clinic has been set up at the school.
“Testing is ongoing. There are 626 learners, 33 teachers
and 4 other support staff presently at the school. All these are asymptomatic
and as such they are at school in isolation. All those at school have been
grouped into 4 groups: (a) those that have tested, (b) those that have not
tested, (c) those that tested negative, (d) those that tested positive.
None of the people at the school are showing any signs of
illness and the learners are in high spirits. They play, study and interact
within their respective groupings,” he said.
Mr Ncube said yesterday there was a visit to the school by
members of the National Covid-19 Command Centre from Harare.
He said the school proposed to release home learners who
have tested negative and are not sitting for any public examinations and
proposal is being considered by Government.
“Meanwhile, the school urgently needs the following: 100
litres hand sanitisers, 5 600 surgical masks, 100 Litres disinfectant, fruits.
The SDC appeals for assistance in getting the items urgently required,” he
added. Chronicle
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