Johannesburg – At least 30 more learners and teachers at King Edward VII School in Houghton have tested positive for the coronavirus.
This takes the total number of confirmed cases at the school to more than 60, after more than 30 boys tested positive last week.
On Tuesday, in an update to parents, a school letter showed that 11 more boys had tested positive for Covid-19, while on Thursday, another 19,-among them three teachers, had tested positive for the virus.
The Department of Education in Gauteng declined to comment on Thursday, saying it would provide an update on the matter on Friday.
In the school letter addressed to parents, the school shared with parents that 16 boys in grades 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12, had tested positive. The boys were mixed between day scholars and boarders.
It provided an update to parents, indicating the boys who had tested positive and who might have been infected either at school or at the boarding school facility and if they had possible contact with other learners.
“While the levels of infection are extremely worrying, we are hoping that the break from face to face classes will break any possible in school transmissions any further. Please ensure that you have your son tested if he shows any symptoms and please take note that some direct contacts have remained asymptomatic and still tested positive.
“It is thus imperative that all known direct contact remain in quarantine for the 10 days,” said the school.
A concerned learner said he was dismayed that the school was set to reopen on Monday despite the rising infections
“The school is currently closed after an inspection from the department. However it has been made clear to us that the school will reopen on Monday with extra-curricula after school activities also resuming.
“From the day of the shutdown to now, a period of four days, a further 26 cases have been reported, taking the total to 61 which includes teachers.
“Management is aware it is in the hostels. Hostels were closed on Friday. However, in the latest update, a large number of hostel boys have tested positive.
“The hostel boys were all together the whole of last week in the boarding houses and the majority were in close contact,” said the concerned learner.
He lamented his fellow learners’ attitude towards the coronavirus.
“Boys at the school are very lax in the seriousness of the situation with continued sharing of utensils and greetings such as hugs or handshakes,” he said.
As of Wednesday night, there were more than 95 000 active cases in South Africa after 13 000 more people were infected with the virus.
More than 58 000 people have succumbed to the virus.
Credit IOL