Four Makhanda schools hit by Covid-19 as 9 staff, pupil test positive

• Ntsika Secondary School closed after teacher and principal Madeleine Schoeman tested positive.
• Eight teachers, one support staff and one pupil tested positive for Covid-19 at four government schools.
• A pupil tested positive at Victoria Girl's High School, but the school is still open.

Four of the 19 government schools in the Eastern Cape town of Makhanda have closed after a total of 10 people tested positive for Covid-19.

Eastern Cape Department of Education spokesperson Loyiso Pulumani said the schools were temporarily closed after eight teachers, one support staff and one pupil tested positive for the virus. 

The schools are Ntsika Secondary School, Archie Mbolekwa Primary School, Samuel Ntlebi Primary School and Amasango Special Needs School.

Pulumani confirmed that Ntsika Secondary closed after its principal Madeleine Schoeman tested positive for Covid-19.

Pulumani said Schoeman received her results on Saturday.

In a voice note to school staff on Saturday, Schoeman informed staff that she had been in isolation for a week before getting the results, but was still concerned about the week before that.

"It should be fine but you can't be taking chances, so the school will be closed for three days and I am going to get a company to disinfect [the school]," the voice note said.

Pulumani said despite a pupil having tested positive at Victoria Girl's High, the school did not close.

A teacher also tested positive at George Jacques Primary School in Alicedale, said Pulumani.

The school also did not close, confirmed Pulumani.

He did not explain why the two schools did not close after recording cases of Covid-19.

Makhanda is home to Rhodes University, is the judicial capital of the Eastern Cape and hosts the National Arts Festival annually.