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COSAS to close all schools if learners are not tested for COVID-19
Congress of South African Students (COSAS) says learners across the country should be tested for COVID-19 before returning to school.
Image via: Adobe Stock
The Congress of South African Students (COSAS), on Monday 15 June, threatened to close schools across the country if learners are not tested for COVID-19 before returning to the classroom.
In an interview on 702, COSAS National Coordinator Buntu Josephs said it’s possible for all learners in all schools across the country to be tested for COVID-19.
ALL LEARNERS IN ALL SCHOOLS MUST BE TESTED FOR COVID-19
In the interview, Josephs said it is definitely possible to test all learners. He said that if the government could buy personal protective equipment (PPE) for all schools, then it’s possible for them to test all the learners.
“If it was possible for the government to buy PPE for all the schools in South Africa then that means it’s possible for them to test all the learners of South Africa. It’s not just about the money, it’s about saving lives,” said Josephs.
According to the COSAS membership, there are 11 million learners. Josephs is proposing that all 11 million learners be tested, although the health department has tested just over one million people for COVID-19.
COSAS argument is that if safety and wellbeing is a priority for the government, then they will find a way to test 11 million learners.
Since COVID-19 came into existence almost four months ago, only one million people have been tested which shows the country’s capacity for testing.
COSAS is saying that the government’s testing capacity is not enough.
“Government must put in more effort when it comes to the issue of testing,” said Josephs.
LEARNERS MUST BE QUARANTINED
The problem, as most of us know, is that anyone could test negative for COVID-19 and then while awaiting their results, become infected.
When this case was brought forward by Bongani Bingwa, Joseph’s response was to have all learners quarantined after being tested for COVID-19 to avoid becoming infected at a later stage.
“Test the learners, send them for quarantine and then they can come back to school,” added Josephs.
Josephs said a learner’s life should never be put in danger and should always be prioritised no matter what.
There are currently 70 038 COVID-19 cases in South Africa. The Western Cape has the most amount of cases at 42 539.
The national death toll stands at 1 480 with a mortality rate of 2.1%.
