By Prince J Musa in Kenema
The Kenema District Coordinator for COVID-19 Emergency Response Committee (DICOVERC) says they may not have space to quarantine patients suspected to have the coronavirus once schools reopen. Umaru Vandi Kondovoh’s concerns come as schools prepare to reopen next week.
The DICOVERC has used schools as quarantine facilities to keep suspected coronavirus patients. He said they had to resort to using schools because they couldn’t access other facilities.
“Our concern now is that the virus is still with us in communities and some of the schools have been used as quarantine centres” he said, wondering how could find another public place for people who might require quarantining.
Ahmadiyya Secondary School, Luke Commercial Secondary school, Holy Rosary Secondary School and Government Secondary School have been some of the schools that have been used as quarantine facilities.
Kondovoh said hotels, guesthouses and other private spaces had refused to offer their facilities to quarantine people. But the challenge is not just about space to quarantine, it also has had to do with financing the quarantine homes.
“We also have big challenges to finance the quarantined homes, so we are calling on private people and partners to intervene, so we can sustain supporting those in quarantine and at treatment centres,” he said.
Chairman of the Conference of Principals in the district, Septimus Siaka Vandi said classrooms must be disinfected before schools could resume.
“For the safety and health of the children and teachers we expect the classrooms to be disinfected first. This will remove fear in the minds of the pupils and even the teachers. Because no one knows how those classrooms were used by quarantined people,” he said.
Additionally, he said teachers were ready to resume with teaching once schools reopened.
District Medical Officer, Dr. Donald Grant said: “We will have to inspect the school environment, especially those being used as COVID-19 quarantine centres, before the schools resume properly.”
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