Covid-19 hits Rehoboth school hard
Staff and parents at Rehoboth complain about the handling of an outbreak of Covid-19 at the local high school.
JEMIMA BEUKES
The Rehoboth High School (RHS) hostel, where more than 62 learners are quarantined, has reportedly turned into a breeding ground for Covid-19 due to poor services provided by the health ministry.
The ill learners are kept at the hostel where they mingle with other learners and hostel staff because the government has no alternative facilities.
The learners are quarantined in different blocks and are supervised by hostel staff and the matron, who administers the medication.
Hardap education director Gerhard Ndafenongo yesterday confirmed that the learners are in the hostel as recommended by the health ministry.
According to him health concerns were raised with his office but queries in this regard must be directed to the ministry of health.
School principal Johanna Ferreira vehemently denied these concerns and said they were trying their best to handle the situation but they could not be expected to operate like a private school.
“People are complaining non-stop. There is not a single hostel staff member who has tested positive for Covid-19; it is just me and three management members and one teacher,” she said.
Parents in fear
Hostel staff say it is a daunting task handling the situation because the learners were never isolated after their tests, which were delayed for weeks and so exposed other people to Covid-19.
“The supervisors are also positive now because they have worked with these learners without wearing any personal protective equipment (PPE).
“They risked their lives. There was even a case when some of the learners experienced difficulty breathing at night and we had to boil water for them to drink. We called the health officials but they only came the next day,” one staff member said.
Katrina Kapia, mother of one of the learners, said she was unhappy because healthy and infected children were all holed up in the hostel, albeit on different floors.
“My child is negative and she is still in the hostel and they are in regular contact. They use the same bathroom and we are not sure if the toilets are properly cleaned,” she said.
She was also worried about the upcoming exams because learners have not attended school for the last two weeks.
“I am very worried about mathematics because they haven’t had maths lessons since the start of the year,” she said.
Ndafenongo said there are no examinations scheduled for April.
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The Rehoboth High School (RHS) hostel, where more than 62 learners are quarantined, has reportedly turned into a breeding ground for Covid-19 due to poor services provided by the health ministry.
The ill learners are kept at the hostel where they mingle with other learners and hostel staff because the government has no alternative facilities.
The learners are quarantined in different blocks and are supervised by hostel staff and the matron, who administers the medication.
Hardap education director Gerhard Ndafenongo yesterday confirmed that the learners are in the hostel as recommended by the health ministry.
According to him health concerns were raised with his office but queries in this regard must be directed to the ministry of health.
School principal Johanna Ferreira vehemently denied these concerns and said they were trying their best to handle the situation but they could not be expected to operate like a private school.
“People are complaining non-stop. There is not a single hostel staff member who has tested positive for Covid-19; it is just me and three management members and one teacher,” she said.
Parents in fear
Hostel staff say it is a daunting task handling the situation because the learners were never isolated after their tests, which were delayed for weeks and so exposed other people to Covid-19.
“The supervisors are also positive now because they have worked with these learners without wearing any personal protective equipment (PPE).
“They risked their lives. There was even a case when some of the learners experienced difficulty breathing at night and we had to boil water for them to drink. We called the health officials but they only came the next day,” one staff member said.
Katrina Kapia, mother of one of the learners, said she was unhappy because healthy and infected children were all holed up in the hostel, albeit on different floors.
“My child is negative and she is still in the hostel and they are in regular contact. They use the same bathroom and we are not sure if the toilets are properly cleaned,” she said.
She was also worried about the upcoming exams because learners have not attended school for the last two weeks.
“I am very worried about mathematics because they haven’t had maths lessons since the start of the year,” she said.
Ndafenongo said there are no examinations scheduled for April.
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