The Malawi government has resolved that schools should remain closed for another two weeks due to the continued rise in COVID-19 cases.
This is according to Minister of Health Khumbize Kadondo Chiponda who on behalf of the presidential taskforce on COVID-19 was presenting the daily update of the COVID-19 pandemic.
In her presentation, Chiponda said upon assessment of how the new COVID-19 strain is spreading, government through all relevant groups has resolved that all schools remain closed.
Minister Chiponda said the taskforce has observed that there are still more COVID-19 cases being registered on daily basis and that allowing schools to reopen will put learners at risk of being infected with the disease hence the decision.
“Three weeks which the president announced is almost over and the presidential committee on COVID-19 fight met this afternoon so the decision which we have arrived at is that with the schools should remain for another two weeks.
“After these two weeks, then we will come with another assessment to see if the burden of the pandemic is still there. We can’t allow our kids to go to school when the burden is still high,” said Chiponda.
Furthermore, the taskforce has ordered that all boarding school students who were on hold, should now be released to their respective homes claiming they have undergone all the required processes.
Minister Chiponda has since urged the public to keep on practicing all COVID-19 preventive measures saying there is possibility that the pandemic can easily be dealt with if people are practicing all the preventive measures.
Meanwhile, the country has in last 24 hours registered 435 new COVID-19 cases with 450 new recoveries and 18 new deaths.
