There is growing fear among schools in Masaka District as a total of 45 students are currently admitted at Masaka Regional Referral Hospital after they tested positive for COVID-19.
The Director of Masaka Regional Referral Hospital, Dr. Nathan Onyach on Monday revealed that the students are from two schools whose identities have been concealed not to cause alarm in the schools as well as the neighbouring communities.
Dr. Onyach further noted that the hospital surveillance team is still tracing all contacts to contain the spread of the virus adding that the infections are due to failure to observe the Standard Operating Procedure (SOPs) at schools as clearly stated by the ministry of health.
Onyach also revealed that 16 health workers are under self-isolation and are being monitored from their respective homes.
Mark Jjuuko, the in-charge of the COVID-19 treatment centre assured the schools and the communities that majority of the students are improving and will be discharged soon as they recover.
In the same vein, the Masaka Deputy District Education Officer, John Bosco Mulindwa said that they have a task force team that keeps monitoring the schools in a bid to enforce the SOPs for the good of the learners.
Last month, two secondary schools in Wakiso District registered cases of Covid-19 with three students being admitted and the Ministry of Education and Sports indicated that it is not surprising for cases to be detected in schools because the country is in phase four of the Covid-19 spread and learners come from different communities.
However, according to Wakiso Secondary Schools Headteachers’ Association (WAKISSHA), they suspect that the learners could have brought the infections from their homes.
Ruth Mande Muyinda, the chairperson of WAKISSHA revealed that two schools in Wakiso District that had done Covid-19 tests among learners found out that three students were infected with the deadly virus.
In the same vein, Mr Badru Musoke, the executive secretary of WAKISSHA, revealed that the cases were detected three days after the students had reported to school on October 16.
However, the head-teachers fear that if more cases are reported in schools, the government may consider closing the schools just as it happened in other countries such as South Africa.
