Wednesday 25 November 2020

Matopo High School Shuts Down After 10 Students Test Positive For Covid-19

 


Barely a week after 100 students tested positive for Covid-19 at John Tallach Secondary School in Ntabazinduna, Matabeleland North, another health emergency has been declared at Matopo High School in Matabeleland South.

This comes after 10 students tested positive for Covid-19 at Matopo High School.

Matopo High School has become the second school after John Tallach Secondary to report multiple cases of the respiratory illness caused by the coronavirus, Zim Live reports.

According to Matabeleland South Provincial Medical Director Dr. Rudo Chikodzore, the positive tests at Matopo were only detected after the rapid response team responded to reports of pupils with higher than normal temperatures.

 Obey Chaputsira, who heads the Matobo district taskforce committee on Covid-19, said health workers have so far been deployed to begin a process of testing everyone at the school so as to ascertain the number of students or teachers that have been affected by Covid-19

Teachers’ unions fear that the impending crisis will affect the smooth running of final examinations for Grade 7, Form 4, and Upper Sixth.

“Our schools have failed to meet the bare minimum levels of safety in the face of Covid-19,” the Amalgamated Rural Teachers Union said in a statement on Tuesday.”

“The government prepared standard operating procedures that can’t be adhered to because of underfunding. The Z$600 million for safe schools opening remains unaccounted for. Teachers and learners must stay home to avoid mass infections.”

Raymond Majongwe, the secretary-general of the Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (PTUZ) revealed that the Covid-19 is spreading in schools because students and teachers were not tested when schools reopened.

“No testing happened when schools reopened. Several teachers and learners were coming from neighbouring countries. No PPEs and other requirements were provided for both teachers and learners. Trouble is coming,” he said

The PTUZ called on the government to assist students and teachers with PPEs urgently, as well as ensure compliance with standard operating procedures so as to prevent the outbreak of Covid-19 in schools.

Meanwhile, at John Tallach, cases have risen to 184. The school has since been sealed off for two weeks after five pupils initially tested positive.

No comments:

Post a Comment