Lolo Madonsela
Covid-19 has hit schools hard in AbaQulusi, with positive cases since last week leaving teachers and learners in great fear.
By Monday this week, at least seven schools had confirmed cases of Covid-19; with one case in Hlanguza, four in Mpofini (of which one person passed away last week), one in Isololumuzi, one in Hlathingwe, one in Filidi, one in Hluma and two in Fisokuhle School.
Other schools that had suspected but not confirmed cases were Vryheid Comprehensive, where one teacher passed away on suspicion that he had Covid-19, as he had respiratory issues. The department is still awaiting the postmortem results. At Lakeside School, a teacher came in direct contact with a family member who tested positive. The teacher has not been tested, and other teachers are in fear of transmission of the virus at the school. At Konfoor Combined School, one learner presented all the symptoms of the virus and had an underlying sickness. She was still to be tested for the virus as well.
Teachers who spoke to this publication on condition of anonymity expressed their fears.
“With all these cases in our schools, we are expected to return to classes and continue with teaching and learning as if nothing has happened. We fear for our safety and that of the learners. We are told to go get ourselves tested at private doctors. How can we do that, because not all of us can afford it? How about the learners; where are they going to get the money to get tested? Why is the department not ensuring that all learners and teachers who come in contact with those who tested positive also be tested? Why are the schools not closing?
We are scared to go to work and at the same time, we do not want to stigmatise our colleagues. Soon, other learners are expected to come back to school, yet the number of infections is rising.”
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AbaQulusi School Inspector Ntshangase confirmed the positive cases to the Joint Operations Committee (JOC) on Covid-19 and said that, “We are going to work with the Department of Health to forge a way forward based on recommendations that they will give us on how to handle this situation. For now, where positive cases have been found, we suspend teaching and learning for at least three days; we fumigate the school and then teachers and learners return to school after that.”
Businesses have also been affected by Covid-19. Mr Price Home, where one case was confirmed, has been closed until further notice. Steers has three suspected cases and has also been partially closed, doing call-orders and deliveries only. No walk-ins are allowed while awaiting the test results, and the shop has been fumigated.
On Friday, Vryheid District Hospital confirmed that one health official tested positive and was under quarantine at home. The hospital also confirmed that those who had close contact with the official have undergone testing. By Monday, after the hospital had a meeting with the JOC, it emerged that eight more health officials had tested positive.
However, the Provincial Department of Health did not want to confirm these cases and stated that it was the Minister of Health’s prerogative to pronounce stats. KZN Department of Health spokesperson Ntokozo Maphisa said, “In accordance with the law, the department does not confirm positive Covid-19 cases, as this is the sole responsibility of the Minister of Health. As a matter of principle, where a positive Covid-19 case has been identified, contact mapping and tracing is conducted, as well as screening, testing and quarantining of people who have come in contact with the affected individual(s), and the isolation of those who test positive. Where necessary and warranted by a formal risk assessment exercise, the affected section of a health facility may be temporarily closed in order to allow for decontamination.”
With all positive cases, patients are quarantined in their respective homes. The hospital has confirmed that there were no critical cases, as no one was in the ICU or quarantined at the hospital.
There was panic in town after Mr Price closed shop following a Covid-19 positive case. Everyone who had been to the shop wanted to get tested. At the JOC meeting, Sister Nonhlanhla Shabalala from Vryheid District Hospital clarified that, “To be considered a contact, a person needs to have been at Mr Price Home for at least 15 minutes or more a few days before the results came back, and soon after that started showing symptoms. Only then do we test that person. However, if a customer had been in the shop a week before that or 14 days before and did not show any symptoms, that person will not be tested.
According to the countrywide stats shared by the Department of Basic Education as at June 27, KZN had a total of 63 affected schools, with 13 learners who tested positive and 62 staff members who tested positive. In total, 775 schools have been affected, with 523 learners and 1169 staff members affected. Leading with infections at schools was the Western Cape with 332 cases, followed by Gauteng with 176, Eastern Cape 154, North West 14, Free State 12, Northern Cape 11, Mpumalanga 10, and Limpopo three.
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