Another teacher tests positive for Covid-19 at Thohoyandou school

A teacher at Thohoyandou Technical High School tested positive for the coronavirus last Wednesday. Some of the staff members at the school have been placed in isolation.

At the beginning of the month, a teacher was tested positive at Liivha Combined school and the school was closed.

At Thohoyandou Technical High, the classes of Grade 12 pupils are continuing and only nine teachers were isolated and are still waiting to be tested by the Department of Health. The chairperson of the SGB, Ms Livhuwani Ravhuanzwo, said that the teacher had felt bad and gone to the doctor. The results came back positive last Tuesday.

She said that an urgent meeting of the SGB was called. The Departments of Education and Health were also informed about the situation at the school. She said that the SGB and the school were waiting for the department to come to the school, but the department was waiting for a formal report. She further said they had informed the department via SMS. She said that the department had visited the school last Thursday and observed all the health measures that were followed.

She said that they were obliged to put a safety protocol in place, which included identifying direct contacts, sanitising the relevant areas of the school, and supporting any affected staff members. She says no need to panic existed, but any person experiencing symptoms should report them to the school.

One of the teachers, who did not want to be named, said the principal had told them one of their colleagues had tested positive for Covid-19. “We cannot risk our lives to work in these conditions. We need to test all of us, including the pupils, and the school must be closed temporarily,” she said. “We cannot allow learners to come to classes in this situation. We are not only doing this for us, but also for them and their families.”

The spokesperson for the Limpopo Department of Education, Ms Tidimalo Chuene, said that they had received a report that a teacher had tested positive and the Department of Health was the one to comment.

Date:25 June 2020

By: Kaizer Nengovhela

Kaizer Nengovhela started writing stories for Limpopo Mirror in 2000. Prior to that he had a five year stint at Phala-Phala FM as sports presenter. In 2005 Kaizer received an award from the province's premier as Best Sports Presenter. The same year he was also nominated as Best Sports Reporter by the Makhado Municipality. Kaizer was awarded the Mathatha Tsedu award in 2014.

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