Lessons Suspended at Chiwale School In Neno As 10 Students Test positive For Covid-19

As the debate whether to have schools closed or not amid the second wave of Coronavirus has sparked, at least 10 students have also tested positive for the virus in Neno district at Chiwale Secondary School.

Neno District Health Office Public Relations Officer, Ganizani Mkwate, says the ten are part of 19 new infections recorded in the district over the last 24 hours.

According to Mkwate,  all boarding students have been told not leave campus while day scholars are being sent back home to allow health workers carry out contact tracing to contain further spread of the virus.

Meanwhile, lessons at the school have been temporarily suspended to pave way for further tests of students and teachers.

The development comes barely few hours after Lilongwe Girls Secondary School has also registered 16 Covid-19 cases, all of the cases are students.

According to the authorities at the school, all the students who were found positive for the virus were sent to the respective homes for further guidance form their families.

Meanwhile, officials from the Ministry of Education have arrived at the school for a visit following the development to appreciate the situation as of today.

The officials from the division office have also announced that they will conduct mass testing for both students and teachers.

However, there have been growing calls from parents and other stakeholders asking government to close the schools as the situation is getting worse.

The Human Rights Defenders Coalition has asked government to consider closing schools arguing that it attracts a number of people of which chances of spreading the virus are high.

Despite the calls, government through the Ministry of Education has said it will not close schools.