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Judge Jarachara, Chronicle Reporter
EIGHT people most of them pupils have been quarantined at Thorngrove Infectious Diseases Hospital and Elangeni Training Centre following mass testing and contact tracing that followed the detection of Covid-19 cases at Mzilikazi Primary School.

Chronicle reported on Saturday that there had been no new Covid-19 positive cases at the school but as more results trickled in, some positive cases have since been recorded.

From the tests which were done at Mzilikazi Primary School 30 learners tested positive and one of the pupils who tested positive has a sibling at Mzilikazi High School which prompted health authorities to go to the secondary school to test some learners.

The Mzilikazi High school pupil also tested positive resulting in the student’s classmates and other contacts being also tested.

Bulawayo Health Director Dr Edwin Sibanda said although they are yet to ascertain the exact number of cases since the laboratory which is dealing with the samples is overwhelmed, they have recorded a total of 38 cases, eight being staff members and the rest pupils. He said the 30 pupils include the pupil from Mzilikazi High whose brother is one of the pupils at the primary school that tested postive.

“The first case which was recorded at the school was a worker who tested positive on March 27 and as of yesterday, 1 930 pupils, 55 teachers and 13 student teachers had been tested, meaning 97,9 percent of the learners were tested,” said Dr Sibanda.

He said health authorities have since taken eight of those who tested Covid-19 positive to Thorngrove Hospital and Elangeni Training Centre considering that some of their houses in Mzilikazi suburb are small to enable isolation.

“From Mzilikazi high school, we collected 30 samples in contact tracing and unfortunately results are still pending. We have taken eight in isolation either at Thorngrove Hospital and Elangeni Training Centre,” said Dr Sibanda.

He said it had taken long to release the results because the laboratory is overwhelmed by samples.

“The laboratory is a bit overwhelmed with work as they are not testing Bulawayo alone but the region at large. The school had 1 900 samples following the mass testing,” he said.

Dr Sibanda said pupils usually recover fast from the pandemic but it was different with adults.

“We want a situation where all the teachers and other staff are vaccinated because they are vulnerable compared to pupils. That way we are sure that even if the disease attacks children, it is not a threat to adults,” said Dr Sibanda.

The Director of communications in the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education Mr Taungana Ndoro said they are working with the Ministry of Health and Child Care to ensure a safe learning environment.-@jdgjarachara