Minister of Higher Education Science and Innovation, Dr Blade Nzimande, has expressed concern over reports of increases in the coronavirus infections at various tertiary institutions in the country. Higher Health, the agency mandated by the department to safeguard student health and wellbeing, says it is worried about the trend.
Currently, only the University of Pretoria has experienced a small cluster outbreak and there are pockets of positive cases at other universities and TVET colleges. These cases are not yet classified as cluster outbreaks.
“While COVID has largely been detrimental for the older population groups, the virus is mutating and new variants are showing a higher affinity towards young people who can serve as carriers and fasten the spread of infection. Unfortunately, that would fire up the third wave,” Nzimande warned in a statement.
Departmental Spokesperson, Ishmael Mnisi, says as screening and testing continue, there is a probability that the number of positive cases may rise further.
“The Minister says 55 students from the University of Pretoria have tested positive up until Wednesday, 31st March 2021. Higher Health is aggressively working on contact tracing with the help of the Department of Health and have tested and screened a large number of students and staff over the last few days. Higher Health is still screening and testing this week, for which results are still awaited,” Mnisi says.
Investigation team
The Department of Higher Education and the Department of Health say they have formed coronavirus Cluster Outbreak Investigation Teams that are currently screening and testing students and staff at higher education facilities across the country.
Mnisi says over 3 000 students and staff are being screened.
“Higher Health, working with the institutions, the local DOH, the NICD and the NHLS has formulated Cluster Outbreak investigation teams. Over 3 000 students and staff are being screened and contact traced, with over 200 being tested, thus far. Further, the DOH and Higher Health have developed screening stations around the affected residences,” he adds.
So far, 1 549 451 South Africans have been infected by the coronavirus and 52 897 lives have been lost to it.
