Covid-hit school shut down

MASERU – Khetsisa High School in Leribe was shut down two weeks ago after close to 100 students tested positive for Covid-19. There are fears that students from other schools in the area could have been affected after they mingled with pupils from Khetsisa. Yesterday, the Ministry of Education held a day-long meeting with principals and other stakeholders in the district to seek a quick solution before the virus could get out of control. An official from the Health Ministry yesterday said the students had diarrhea, which is one of the symptoms of the Covid-19 infection, but overall they were healthy. Another health official who asked to remain anonymous last night said there will be inspections in other schools throughout the district, especially where it is suspected that they might have had contacts with students from Khethisa High School. The official said it is believed that the virus entered the school through a student who visited her mother who had travelled from South Africa recently. According to Tšele Masoebe, Principal of Khethisa High School, the school has been officially closed and is due to re-open in 14 days. Most of the students have been placed in self-quarantine. Apparently, the school tried to quarantine the Covid-19 confirmed cases “but failed dismally due to lack of support and resources from the Ministry of Health”. Motlatsi Mosoang, the District Education Manager in Leribe who is also currently in quarantine, said other schools in the district are still open regardless of the fact that their students could have intermingled with those that tested positive. “Predominantly, this could aid a hike in the spread of the virus within the district considering the wrath of the second wave,” Mosoang said. Mosoang said the ministry had not yet decided to shut down schools adding that the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Education were still to provide direction on the matter. Mosoang said regardless of the sanitizers, bleach, liquid soap and masks that had been supplied to the school, he is “not really sure if the school practised social distancing by way of studying in shifts”. As advised, large schools are to conduct studies in shifts in a bid to slow down the spread of the virus. He added that currently, the entire school infrastructure is being fumigated adding that more focus will be put on the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) once school resumes. Efforts to get comment from the National Covid-19 Secretariat (Nacosec) failed yesterday with officials saying they were still in a meeting when thepost called. Earlier this week Nacosec reported only two positive cases even after the Leribe story came into public domain. Staff Reporter