Voi Primary School in Taita Taveta county has been closed after three teachers tested positive for Covid-19.
Confirming the news, County Education boss Simon Wanjohi said 27 other teachers have since been put on quarantine while the school’s 300 students have been sent home.
Mr. Wanjohi said it was difficult to conduct testing for all the students due to lack of enough coronavirus testing kits, adding that the county government is presently liaising with the Ministry of Health on how to undertake the process.
The situation at Voi Primary School has however caused panic at the nearby Mwakingali
This is the latest Covid-19 case in school after yesterday’s Kolanya Boys High Schools case.
Sixty people among them 52 students, six teachers and two support staff had tested positive for COVID-19 at Salvation Army Kolanya Boys High School in Busia County.
The 60 positive cases were confirmed from 100 samples that were randomly picked for testing at the school.
Addressing the press on Tuesday, Busia Governor Sospeter Ojaamong said the positive cases have been isolated within the school and medical staff deployed to manage them.
However Education CS George Magoha said schools are the safest environment for learners, even as the Covid-19 infection rate continues to surge.
Magoha’s remarks come amid undertones to have schools fully reopen for learners yet to report back eight months since closure in March.
The CS on Monday said the ministry will today Wednesday engage President Uhuru Kenyatta over a plan to fully reopen learning institutions, hinting on possible resumption for in-person teaching and learning for all classes.
This includes those in pre-primary, Grades 1-3, Class 5-7 and Form 1-3.
The CS said that they are in due process of calling stakeholders to ratify the decision which may see more classes returning to school.
He said President Uhuru Kenyatta would chair a national consultative meeting for governors and other critical stakeholders, which will kick-start consensus building on reopening for additional classes.
“There is consultation at every level of government and as you are aware President Uhuru Kenyatta will engage governors and other stakeholders on November 4,” said Magoha.
An Education sector stakeholders meeting will then be convened to refine and agree on which classes may reopen and when they shall start classes.
“We shall then decide when to call our own internal stakeholders so that we make a decision for children who are at home,” said Magoha.