Africa-Press – Zimbabwe. Coronavirus cases at John Tallach in Natabazinduna in Matebeleland North province have gone up to 184 after 39 more pupils tested positive for the virus.
John Tallach was forced to close two weeks ago after five pupils initially tested positive.
The school with an enrollment of 623 pupils had 145 pupils testing positive last week. After another round of testing over the weekend 39 more tested positive.
The acting provincial medical director for Matabeleland North, Dr Munekayi Padingani, said the virus could have been brought by one of the students who went to South Africa to bury his father illegally and came back.
Padingani added that the problem started when John Tallach opened for the Lower Sixth and Form 3 classes on October 26.
Despite the rising coronavirus cases in schools, the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education says schools are strictly following regulations put in place to curb the spread of Covid-19 which has killed 268 Zimbabweans so far.
Under the Standard Operating Procedures (SOP), hugs, handshakes and sharing of desks are not permitted in schools.
Meanwhile, some stakeholders have called for the closure of schools and reimposition of the lockdown on some towns including Bulawayo which of late has been recording the highest number of cases.
More: Chronicle
