Geoffrey van der Merwe said that seven schools have now been closed in the province to allow contact tracing and disinfection of school premises. He confirmed 28 educators, 367 learners, and 15 support staff members have tested positive.

"It's clear that the academic recovery will take much longer than expected, whilst the current reality is placing a massive strain on the entire education sector. The Department is doing all that we can to support educators and learners across all grades during these difficult times,” said Van der Merwe.

He further said that a high number of cases continue to impact negatively on the learning programme and also affects the academic performance of learners and their preparations for the exams.

OFM News/Kekeletso Mosebetsi