Schools are not required to close, institute restrictions or send home pupils and staff who have been in contact with a suspected Covid-19 case until it is confirmed positive.
This is according to guidelines provided by the department of basic education.
It is only when pupils have been exposed to a confirmed case of Covid-19 that they may not attend school, while fellow pupils who are not contacts of a confirmed case should continue attending school.
“Pupils who have interacted with a healthy contact of a confirmed case, specifically, should not be excluded from school, as a person who comes into contact with the healthy contact of a confirmed case is unlikely to result in transmission.
“The relevant public health officials will discuss the case, identify people who have been in contact with the patient, and advise on any action or precautions that should be taken,” said the document.
“Infected staff are required to take leave and thorough cleaning and disinfection of their workspace must be conducted. They are allowed back to school only on the condition that they have undergone a medical evaluation confirming that they have tested negative for Covid-19,” the guidelines state.
As schools opened on Monday, Covid-19 positive cases reached 50,879, while more than 1,160 people have now died from Covid-19 related illness in SA.
On Tuesday two Durban high schools were forced to close after a teacher at each school tested positive for Covid-19. On Wednesday, Deccan Road Primary School in Pietermaritzburg and Savannah Park Secondary in Chatsworth both suspended lessons after a teacher tested positive at each school.
While the department conceded that temporarily closing a school is a possible strategy to prevent or slow the continued spread of the virus, schools closure guidelines indicate that closure should be considered only after recommendations from the accountable public health official.
“School administrators are not expected to make decisions about dismissals or closure of schools and must follow the departmental procedures, guidance from local health officials to determine if, when, and for how long to take these steps.
‘During school dismissals, schools may stay open for staff members (unless they are ill) while pupils stay home.”
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