SOME schools around the country are demanding that pupils produce COVID-19-free certificates before they are admitted for the last term of the year following outbreaks within the first week of reopening.
Schools only resumed classes for the second and final term
of the year last week following a prolonged closure due to spiking infections
during winter, for examination classes while the rest of the pupils restart
in-class learning today.
Other schools are providing testing facilities at the
school gates to ensure that only pupils who are COVID-19-free are allowed into
their premises.
Kriste Mambo Girls High School near Juliasdale on Saturday
reported that it recorded nine COVID-19 cases during the first week of the
schools reopening.
In a circular to parents and guardians, Sister Monica
Maparura urged parents to make sure their children bring COVID-19 test results.
“We would like to inform you that after receiving the
examination classes, we had some learners who exhibited some COVID-19 symptoms
on day five of reopening, Maparura said.
“We procedurally informed the Ministry of Health. Eighteen
learners, who include those who exhibited symptoms and their contacts, were
tested. Nine of them tested positive. The Ministry of Health’s assessment
revealed that the cases were imported and not local. In view of this, the
Ministry of Health has recommended that all students who are coming to school
tomorrow Sunday September 5, 2021 should produce COVID-19 antigen rapid
diagnostic tests so as to assist the school in implementing the relevant
measures.”
Teachers’ unions said they had received several reports of
schools that were recording COVID-19 cases in the past week.
“We have received reports of schools that are
recording COVID-19 cases though we are
yet to gather the actual figures of the affected pupils. It has come to our
attention that a school in Marondera and another in Matabeleland South
(province) have recorded cases of COVID-19, during the first week of the second
term,” Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe secretary-general Raymond
Majongwe told NewsDay.
The Zimbabwe Teachers’ Association (Zimta) also said there
had been reports of outbreaks at several schools.
“There is a COVID-19 case at St Mark’s in Mhondoro which
was recorded in the past week, while a
teacher at St Mark’s Primary School in Mhondoro again succumbed to COVID-19 in
the same week,” Zimta secretary-general Goodwill Taderera said, adding that
there were more cases for which they would only get full details today.
During the first term this year, several schools were
forced to close after recording a high number of COVID-19 cases.
According to statistics released by the Health ministry on
Saturday, the country recorded 94 new COVID-19 cases, while nine people
succumbed to the virus, bringing the totals to 125 425 and 4 466, respectively,
by yesterday morning since the first was recorded in the country last year in
March.
Health deputy minister John Mangwiro was not picking up his
phone for comment. Medical and Dental Private Practitioners of Zimbabwe
Association president Johannes Marisa told NewsDay that due to limited testing
capacities, more pupils in schools could be suffering from COVID-19, but the
cases were not being recorded.
“Children have always been contracting COVID-19, but most
of them have not been exhibiting symptoms,” he said.
“It is not surprising that several schools have COVID-19
cases. But the situation right now does not warrant for schools to be closed.
This is a reminder that COVID-19 is still with us.
“Learning should continue in schools, but what is important
is to ensure that the situation is kept under control so that we don’t get
ballooning figures. There is a need to cautiously monitor the cases to ensure
that all complicated cases are dealt with urgently.”
Government announced last week that it had opened the
COVID-19 vaccination to 14 to 17-year age groups, who constitute a significant
number of school-going pupils.
But unions said only 5% of teachers had been vaccinated and
have called on government to ensure that their members get the COVID-19 jabs to
protect them and those pupils who have not yet been vaccinated.
Government urged parents to help in ensuring their children
had enough personal protective equipment (PPE), but parents who spoke to
NewsDay yesterday said they could not afford it, especially after government
increased school fees by 33%.
Parents also decried private transport operators who were
charging about twice or thrice the normal travelling fares yesterday.
There was chaos at several pick-up points in Harare
yesterday as learners and staff jostled for transport to their schools.
“Government should have organised subsidised transport
fares to facilitate smooth travelling of pupils and teachers to their respective
schools since private transport operators have been barred from transporting in
intercity,” a teacher, who was at a pick-up point behind Rufaro Stadium in
Mbare, Harare, said.
“We are still in the middle of the pandemic where we need
to adhere to the COVID-19 guidelines of social distancing, which is not the
case here.”
Another parent, Charity Moyo, raised concern over
government’s decision to reopen schools without ensuring safety of children
from COVID-19.
“It is difficult for us to provide PPE for our children to
sustain them the whole of this long term,” Moyo said. “We are financially
incapable of providing enough PPE as required by government.”
The Amalgamated Rural Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (Artuz)
said it planned to stage a protest today against the public transport crisis.
Primary and Secondary Education ministry permanent
secretary Tumisang Thabela said she could not comment as she was travelling. She
referred questions to the ministry’s spokesperson Taungana Ndoro, whose mobile
number was not reachable. Newsday
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