Staff Reporter
At least four teachers and a learner at five different schools in the Free State have tested positive for COVID-19 in the last few days, the provincial department of education has said.
Spokesperson Howard Ndaba told The Free Stater that Fauna Primary School and Sentraal Primary School in Bloemfontein have each reported one of their teachers tested positive for the respiratory disease.
He said another two teachers had also tested positive at two different schools in Qwaqwa, namely Clubview Secondary School and Mokgalaneng Primary School.
Ndaba also confirmed the case of a Grade 9 learner from New Horizon College in Harrismith who tested positive as exclusively reported by this publication on Sunday.
“It’s yet to be decided what will happen to the affected schools,” he said in a telephone interview.
“Decisions have to be made on what will happen at the individual schools – it’s not a one-size-fits-all.
“We can’t just decide to close all the schools or leave them open as that depends on the situation at the school.”
According to Ndaba, classes have been suspended at Sentraal Primary School to allow for decontamination and a decision will be made on Wednesday on how to proceed.
“We have not closed any school in the province,” he said.
“So far, classes have only been suspended to allow for the decontamination of the areas where those who tested positive had been to.
“We are working closely with the provincial health department so they can advise us on how to handle each situation.”
Ndaba also said the Grade 9 learner at New Horizon College was at school because it is a private institution that had been allowed to accommodate more learners because it has smaller class sizes.
The phased reopening of schools which started on June 8 only allowed Grades 7 and 12 to resume classes.
Other grades are expected to be phased in with time as the government seeks to curb the spread of the coronavirus by ensuring physical distancing through smaller classes.
Last week, a Grade 12 learner at Grey College in Bloemfontein became the first case of COVID-19 at the school.
The learner, who is from Pietermaritzburg and stays in one of the school hostels, had complained of a headache when he woke up last Tuesday.
He also had a bad cough, prompting the school to send him for testing.
About 19 other learners at Grey College were immediately put in quarantine.
On Thursday, 15 learners from Heatherdale Secondary School in Heidedal, Bloemfontein, showed flu-like symptoms while being screened upon arrival at school and were immediately rushed to hospital for further tests.
Their results not yet out and they have since quarantined at their respective homes.