Boarding Pupils Barred From Travelling Home During Independence Holiday

The government has ordered all borders to remain at school over the Independence weekend in order to minimise social contact and reduce the risk of the spread of the coronavirus.

Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister Monica Mutsvangwa said after Tuesday’s Cabinet meeting:

In order to protect learners during the forthcoming holiday and avoid the Covid-19 infection spike as happened over the Christmas and New Year holidays, Cabinet has directed that all learners at boarding schools remain at their schools during the Independence holiday in order to avoid travel congestion and minimise chances of contracting the virus.

All school heads, without exception, are required to observe this directive, which is in the national interest.

During the Easter holidays, the government also barred boarding pupils from travelling to their homes.

The same restrictions applied to learners who had travelled to urban or rural areas but are not boarders.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education has blamed “errant” school authorities for the recent outbreaks of COVID-19 at some boarding schools, among them Sacred Hearts Girls High School in Matabeleland South province.

The schools were accused of ignoring a government directive not to allow boarding pupils to travel home for the Easter holidays.

Ministry of Education spokesperson Taungana Ndoro said the infected pupils got the coronavirus from outside and brought it to the schools.

More: The Herald