Chronicle Editor
Nqobile Tshili, Chronicle Reporter
GOVERNMENT has urged schools to strictly enforce Covid-19 prevention guidelines including banning hugs and handshakes in the wake of a spike in new infections in boarding schools.
A few months ago, Government came up with Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) to prevent and manage the spread of Covid-19 in schools.
Sacred Heart primary and secondary schools near Esigodini in Matabeleland South Province recorded more than 200 cases more than a week ago while another school Embakwe High School in Plumtree in the same province recorded 91 cases by Saturday.
Since schools reopened last month, Government has said learning institutions in Matabeleland region have been hard-hit by the Covid-19 pandemic.
In light of the new cases, Government has urged institutions to be more vigilant in implementing prevention measures to prevent the spread of Covid-19.
The ministry said there seems to be complacency in implementing SOPs in schools.
In a statement yesterday, Primary and Secondary Education Minister Cain Mathema said school authorities need to be firm in implementing SOPs.
“The ministry is calling upon all heads of schools to guard against complacency and ensure full compliance with health protocols as directed through the SOP. All schools should strongly reinforce the following health-promoting behaviours among learners and staff-: consistent daily temperature check, ensuring that the thermometers used for screening, learners are in good working order at all times, with replacement batteries in stock,” said Minister Mathema.
“Consistent and proper wearing of clean masks, consistent physical and social distancing, regular and correct hand-washing, no overcrowding at entry points, in classrooms, during break-time, in dining halls and in boarding hostels, and common rooms including libraries, no hugging, hand-holding or touching, correct mouth, nose and eye hygiene, good toilet hygiene and safe handling of all body fluids.”
He said schools need to ensure that there is no sharing of items without proper sanitising of hands and cleaning and disinfection of commonly touched surfaces.
Minister Mathema said adhering to Covid-19 prevention measures is crucial as the country heads for the winter season.
“As the 2021 winter season is approaching, the success of the preventive measures against the spread of Covid-19 among learners depends heavily on the leadership of each school head as well as the co-operation among teachers, learners, their parents/guardians and communities at large. Within the context of the national Covid-19 response, the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education, in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and Child Care, have put in place a systematic disease surveillance procedure that requires daily screening of all learners and staff during the school term,” said Minister Mathema.
“This surveillance and monitoring system has been a success as many cases of Covid-19, that would otherwise go undetected, have been identified and managed through the school system. Our schools have become a necessary barometer for detection and management of Covid-19 nationwide.”
He warned that institutions and individuals against holding critical information on Covid-19 cases as this is a violation of Public Health Act.
“The Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education wishes to remind all stakeholders that Covid-19 is a Public Health Emergency and drastic measures will be taken on acts of negligence such as failure to disclose possible risk; non-compliance with Government directives and recommendations in the management of Covid-19 outbreak at any school and neglect or incompetent performance of duty that exposes learners and staff to the risk of Covid-19 infection. The country is facing an unprecedented challenge,” he said. — @nqotshili
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