Students, teachers with Covid-19 symptoms to be tested

The National Main Stories

By JINA AMBA
STUDENTS and teachers are to be tested if they are sick or show any symptoms of Covid-19 when classes resume on Monday, according to the Education Department.
Education secretary Dr Uke Kombra said: “Any student or staff who is sick having flu-like symptoms are advised to stay home and do not attend classes.
“For any sick student or staff, schools must contact your local health officers to carry out swabbing and testing of the sick student and staff without delay to prevent transmission to others.”
The four-week isolation period declared in March by Education Minister Jimmy Uguro will end this week.
“This action was taken to ensure that students remained at home and reduced the risk of contraction and dissemination of Covid-19 within schools,” Kombra said
The Education Department says:

  • ALL students must wear face masks at all times in and out of school;
  • ALL teachers and the ancillary staff of schools must wear face masks at all times;
  • SCHOOLS are encouraged to maintain social distancing at all times;
  • HAND sanitisers and/or hand-washing facilities must be provided in the staff rooms for all teachers to sanitise their hands every morning; and,
  • ANY student or staff who is sick having flu-like symptoms are advised to stay home and do not attend classes.

“With the surge in Covid-19 cases these past weeks, it comes as a surprise that the Education Department has gone ahead with resuming classes,” Kombra said.
“While students and staff are now required by legal direction under the circular, there is still a high risk of community transmission.
Meanwhile, some teachers have raised concern at the increasing number of Covid-19cases in the country.
The teachers said that before schools resumed classes, teachers in the country should be vaccinated because they were at risk.