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The Department of Basic Education said 775 schools were temporarily closed and reopened around the country in the past three weeks to allow “affected areas to be disinfected.”
The Department issued a statement on Saturday, showing that the highest number of schools affected by the pandemic were in the Western Cape with 332, Gauteng at 176, and the Eastern Cape with 154 schools.
A total of 523 learners and 1 169 teachers were affected in all nine provinces as of Friday.
“Schools, just like clinics, police stations, shops, mines, and other frequently visited places, have found themselves also having to close and reopen. This is in response to infections identified during the screening process and line with health protocols on how to treat an environment with possible contamination,” the statement said.
The Department of Basic Education said that schools play an important role in the efforts to control the spread of COVID19 and must, therefore, circulate information about the disease and its potential transmission with the school community.
School principals have been urged to ensure that all the health protocols on the management of the virus are strictly followed.
These include:
*Ensuring that learners and employees are screened when the schools reopen using the Department of Health COVID-19 procedure and questionnaire. Learners and employees should report any of the following additional symptoms: body aches, loss of smell or loss of taste, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, fatigue, weakness or tiredness;
*Ensuring that learners and employees are informed, trained and instructed as to the correct use of cloth masks; and
*Ensuring that a risk assessment is conducted to identify categories of employees requiring Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). Those employees should be provided with the accredited PPE in accordance with Department of Health guidelines.
