Chikwawa district education authorities have revealed that 21 primary school teachers and four pupils tested positive for Covid-19 in the district during the second term which ended on August 13.
This was disclosed on the sidelines of a training which Amref Health Africa organised for primary school teachers in the lower shire district over the weekend, aimed at orienting them on Covid-19 preventive measures.
Speaking in an interview, Chikwawa District School Health and Nutrition Coordinator Charles Muyanika confirmed the development indicating that of the positive cases, twenty-one were for teachers while four were for pupils whom he said have all recovered.
Muyanika, however, pointed out that the environment in most primary schools in the district still remains risky for pupils and teachers due to congestion and lack of adherence to preventive measures.
“Yes, it is indeed true that about 21 teachers and 4 pupils tested positive to Covid-19 in the just ended second term school calendar in the district. This signifies that our school environment continues to be risky to teachers and pupils. There is need therefore for them to have adequate knowledge on prevention,” Muyanika said.
On his part, Chikwawa district project assistant for Amref Health Africa, Darkson Matchado said his organisation through its Covid-19 response project is working towards reducing Covid-19 cases in schools in the district by training teachers on how they can contain the spread of the infection in their schools.
Supia Samson, a teacher at Satodwa primary school who took part in the training that drew over two hundred primary school teachers hailed the training as an eye opener saying it will go a long way in assisting them to protect themselves.
Teachers Union of Malawi (TUM) and government have been at loggerheads with the former insisting that they be provided with risk allowances as frontline workers who are at risk, a call government rejected.
