Health officials in Bulawayo have said there were no new coronavirus cases recorded at Mzilikazi Primary School following the mass testing of pupils and staff.
Eight teachers tested positive for COVID-19 two weeks ago prompting health officials to initiate contact tracing and the testing of all pupils and staff members.
Testing was done on all the more than 800 pupils enrolled at the school and all staff members, with all results coming out negative.
Bulawayo City Council Health Director Dr. Edwin Sibanda said no new cases were recorded at the school. He said:
The tests done confirmed that there are no cases of Covid-19 among pupils at the school. We feared pupils could have contracted the virus from the teachers that tested positive hence the mass testing.
The Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education, in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and Child Care, has put in place a disease surveillance mechanism in schools.
Among other things, the Ministry said there must be no overcrowding at entry points, in classrooms, during break-time, in dining halls, boarding hostels, and common rooms, including libraries.
There should also be no hugging, hand-holding, or touching and schools must ensure correct mouth, nose, and eye hygiene, good toilet hygiene, and safe handling of all body fluids.