Sunday News has it on good authority that eight teachers,
including the head and other non-teaching staff at Mufakose High School in
Triangle tested positive to Covid-19 last week, a development which forced the
company to suspend learning at its 22 schools on Thursday last week to curb a
possible transmission.
However, the company will only allow candidates writing the
November Zimsec examinations to come to school while continuously disinfecting
the examination rooms as they implement the Standard Operation Procedures set
by Government as well as following the World Health Organisation (WHO)
protocols.
Schools are officially expected to close for this term on
Friday. Tongaat Hulett spokesperson Ms Adelite Chikunguru told Sunday News
yesterday that the company had closed its schools to minimise the possible
spread of the pandemic among school pupils and staff following the incidences
at Mufakose High School.
“It is unfortunate that one of our schools reported cases
of Covid-19. We have closed all schools that are being run by Tongaat Hulett in
the Lowveld so that we try and minimise the possible spread of the pandemic. We
had stringent protocols that we have been following since the schools opened in
September and we had not had any case of Covid-19.
“The new cases at one of our schools are unfortunate and we
have made sure that the affected people receive best health care. We have state
of the art healthcare facilities at Tongaat Hulett and we are also working with
the Rapid Response Team and the Ministry of Health and Child Care to ensure
that the situation is under control. We continue to follow Government
guidelines on Covid-19,” she said.
According to a memo that was written by the company to its
employees updating on the situation, the company said 51 people came into
contact with the primary source and are under self-quarantine while waiting for
PCR results.
The primary source was identified as a non-teaching staff
at Mufakose High School who later infected seven teachers.
The memo said the contact later infected five other people
at home including her husband, three children and a neighbour who frequented
their home.
“Of the 66 primary contacts that have been investigated so
far, 15 were tested and 11 turned out to be positive. A total of 51 secondary
contacts were tested, six of the 14 ran tests were positive. Other 37 results
are not yet out,” said the company on Friday.
Director of Communication and Advocacy in the Ministry of
Primary and Secondary Education Director Communications Mr Taungana Ndoro could
not confirm nor deny the development.
Mr Ndoro said the ministry would investigate the cases.
Sunday News
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