03 Feb 2021

Chief education officer for Tutume region, Ms Khumoyame Mosetlha, has raised concern over the escalating number of COVID-19 cases among schools in the region. 

Speaking in an interview on February 3, Ms Mosetha said at the beginning of this term, the region recorded 30 cases in schools. 

She said in the first week of February, they registered five new cases of pupils and a teacher at Nkange Junior Secondary School, adding that the cases were part of contact tracing of an employee of a company engaged in the school for maintenance works 

She said fortunately the cases had been fully attended to and those concerned were on isolation l. 

She nonetheless highlighted that the regional management had realised that many of the cases affecting schools came from outside, indicating that within schools they ensured that pupils and staff adhered to health protocols, but the situation was diffetent outside the school premises. 

 Ms Mosetlha said they were making a plea to the general public and parents in particular to adhere to preventative measures to prevent spreading the diseases into schools hence affecting learning and teaching. 

Furthermore, she noted that it was only at Gasebalwe Primary School in Gweta where two pupils in one class tested positive noting that in other schools affected pupils were usually from different classes. 

She urged parents to guard their children against the pandemic by ensuring that after school children stayed home and adhered to preventative measures. ends