2 Durban schools close as teachers found positive
Mass screening, testing of staff, SGB members for Covid-19
LESS than 24 hours after schools reopened in KwaZulu-Natal, two teachers have tested positive for Covid-19.
Screening and testing took place at Apollo Secondary in Chatsworth and Clairwood Secondary yesterday, after the infected teachers had come into contact with other staff.
Both schools will remain closed for the rest of the week.
Apollo Secondary school governing body (SGB) chairperson, Rowan Hirchan, said the infected teacher had not been at school since Friday, after she fell ill.
Department of Health officials were busy with testing yesterday when The Mercury visited the school.
Hirchan said the infected teacher had reported for duty on June 2, to prepare for the return of matric pupils on Monday.
He said she had been confined to the staff room and administration areas.
However, as a safety precaution the entire school was being sanitised, Hirchan said.
“The teacher was last at school on Thursday and did not come into contact with any pupils. On Monday night, after receiving her results, she informed the principal. The SGB was also alerted. We then made a decision to close the school and notified all parents immediately,” Hirchan said.
He added that all 23 staff and the SGB members who had been at school over the past week were instructed to immediately start self-isolating.
He said the Department of Health was then informed and they were asked to go to school yesterday for screening and testing.
“Everyone has returned to self-isolation. We want to assure parents and the community that we have taken all the necessary steps to ensure everyone’s safety. We also want to thank the parents for being understanding during this time,” Hirchan said.
Clairwood Secondary School principal Yugan Naidoo said he had been instructed to close the school immediately after the screening and testing process was completed at about 10am yesterday.
In a letter to parents, Naidoo said the teacher who had tested positive for the virus had not been in contact with pupils, only staff. He too had returned to school last week.
“The teacher visited his doctor over the weekend. On Monday at about 5pm he received his results indicating he was infected.
“The Department of Health instructed me to open school today (yesterday). A team was deployed to conduct screening and testing,” stated the letter.
On social media, parents expressed mixed feelings about the reported infections, with many suggesting pupils should not have returned to school.
Community activist Omi Nair said the community needed to understand that the infections would spike “no matter what”, and people needed to prepare themselves.
“It is no longer a matter of how and if we will get it, it is a matter of when. The Department of Education and schools are doing everything possible to keep our children safe.
“However, parents also have a role to play to ensure their children wear the right protection when at school,” said Nair.
Since the start of the national lockdown, Nair has been involved in collecting and distributing food hampers to the needy.
“This virus has not spared anybody. I have handed out food hampers to families who never saw themselves reaching this position where they reach out for food.
“The economy needs to start moving, people have to go back to work and children have to go back to school. There is no controlling how this virus will creep into schools and offices. People need to take their blinkers off and take precautions. This is only the beginning,” Nair said.
KwaZulu-Natal Premier Sihle Zikalala said he was aware of the two schools that had been closed due the infections.
“We have taken the necessary precautionary measures to ensure that we close those schools for three to four days so that screening, testing and disinfection can take place,” he said.
Zikalala visited two schools in Inanda yesterday. During his visit to Ohlange High School, Zikalala told the media that schools in almost all districts had opened and were fully operational.
He said that 46 schools in uMkhanyakude, Zululand and uThukela district municipalities had not yet opened “due to issues of water”.
“The Education Department and SANDF are there in those districts to try to ensure that these schools open soon,” Zikalala said.
He added that while his office had reported on Sunday that 104 schools would not be ready to open this week, that number had reduced to 46.
He thanked the teachers for their dedication and patriotism.
“In all areas and all schools that we visited, teachers have been at the forefront of ensuring that all regulations and protocols are followed.
“I think this should also allay the fears that we had, as a country and as parents. If our teachers are so responsible about the protection of our pupils, that assists us greatly,” Zikalala said.
Education Department spokesperson Muzi Mahlambi said they had been made aware of the problems at the two schools, and based on advice by the Department of Health they decided to temporarily close the schools to prevent panic.
“We are also testing the rest of the educators and we will disinfect the schools and wait for the results.”
He said that in the meantime the pupils would remain at home.
“We will develop a programme to help them catch up on the curriculum but we do not anticipate they will be at home for too long.”