Northern Cape Education Spokesperson, Geoffrey van der Merwe, says in the last week 339 learners, educators and supporting staff at schools tested positive for Covid-19. Van der Merwe says the high infection rate amongst learners at schools in the province is of great concern to the department.

“We appeal to parents and school communities to limit movement or social interaction of our learners whilst at home. Schools are a microcosm of our society and at this stage mirror the level of infections in our communities. School communities must remain vigilant whilst we still find ourselves in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic,” urges the department's spokesperson.

The department is also calling on parents to register scholars who are 18-years-old and above for the Covid-19 vaccine.

In the Free State, the most recent closure of a school is that of the Ladybrand Primary School in which nearly 90 learners tested positive for the coronavirus. Learners at that school will return in a staggered format, with grades 6 and 7 retuning first on 6 September, followed by grades 4 and 5 a day after that and so forth. Of the latest 10,173 new cases, the Free State constitutes 750 of said new cases, whereas the Northern Cape has 468 new cases.

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