Schools re-opening: Gov't says it will not test all learners, teachers for Covid-19

As schools get set for re-opening on the 15th of this month, the government has said it may not be able to carry out routine Covid-19 testing of candidates and their teachers as earlier anticipated.

While addressing journalists over the weekend in Kampala,the minister for ICT and National Guidance, Judith Nabakooba, said the undertaking is quite expensive for the government, and the testing kits are not available to cover all the finalists.

"It will be very difficult for me to comment about the Covid-19 test [for teachers and learners] because we are looking at 1.2 million people when candidates resume classes. I don’t think we have those testing kits to cover those numbers in such a short time,"said Nabakooba.

The minister said the schools should still make arrangements to receive the 1.2 million learners in candidate classes that are due to rejoin schools around the country.

"What I know the guidelines that were given by the ministry of education are sufficient enough to enable the teachers and parents to work together and make sure that our children are safe,"she said.

She stressed that schools should endeavour to observe all the guidelines issued by the ministry of Education and Sports in combating the pandemic.

"If schools can observe social distancing and the issues of sanitisation but also the use of the masks, our children will be safe,"she noted.