30 people test positive for Covid-19 at North West schools

The North West department of education has confirmed 30 new Covid-19 related cases schools in the province, which brings the total to 62 cases.

In a statement on Thursday, the department said the cases comprise of 22 teachers, six learners, a deputy principal and a non-teaching staff.

Education MEC Mmaphefo Matsemelo said education and health departments were working together to render clinical support to schools.

“We can confirm that there is a total of 62 Covid-19 related cases registered by the department. This means our confirmed cases have increased by 30.

“All our schools are attached to local clinics. Our principals have been trained to isolate individuals displaying malady to a sickbay and nurses are called to attend to the individuals. Again as a department we extend well wishes to all people infected and affected by the virus,” said MEC Matsemela.

To date, 14 schools have been shut down in the province and will reopen after they have been disinfected and decontaminated in accordance to the department of health’s recommendations.

As of Thursday morning, North West currently has 2,618 cases of Covid-19 with 291 people have recovered from the virus while five have lost their lives.

With the next phase of school reopening across the country on 6 July, Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga said her department would work to ensure everything is ready for pupils who return.

Most primary and secondary schools will be able to operate along with schools for learners with disabilities will also be reopening next month.

However, schools are allowed to deviate from this plan for health, safety and social distancing reasons. 

Meanwhile, Motshekga also warned community members in the Eastern Cape from visiting schools amid the increasing numbers of Covid-19 cases in the province.

This follows reports that 204 positive Covid-19 cases including learners and hostel assistants at the Makaula Senior Secondary School in KwaBhaca, were confirmed by the national department of education.

In the Western Cape over 300 staff members and 61 pupils had tested positive for the virus according to the education department.

One South Africa chief activist, Mmusi Maimane lodged a bid to suspend the reopening of schools for a period of 60 days in order to allow more schools to be adequately prepared. The matter was heard by a full bench of judges led by Judge Dunstan Mlambo last week.

Maimane pointed out that schools he had visited were severely underprepared in facing the Covid-19 pandemic. Schools did not have the necessary resources and, as a result, were unable to put adequate measures in place to combat the virus and protect pupils.

Maimane argued that government could only ease the lockdown regulations if there was a reduction in the number of daily infections.

However, the department disagreed with the view and said government never confirmed downward shifts in the alert level system would happen as a direct proportion to the improvement of the health statistics.

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