Lack of potable water in schools a set-back for Covid-19
Lack of clean and potable water in some schools in Karonga has been singled out as one of the challenges leaners and teachers are facing in the fight against Covid-19 in the district.
Mwenitete Zone primary education advisor (PEA) Edger Jabu said this Tuesday when the National Presidential Taskforce Team on Covid-19 inspected some schools, Songwe Border Post and Karonga District Hospital to appreciate the level of adherence to the pandemic’s preventive measures.
Jabu said although leaners and teachers are adhering to Covid-19 preventive measures such as wearing face masks, many schools do not have reliable sources of clean and portable water that the students may use for washing their hands frequently.
“This is a big challenge in many schools. For example, here at Mwenitete Primary School we send leaners to draw water from the nearby village so that they can at least be washing their hands with soap as they are required to do so,” said Jabu.
He then appealed to government and well-wishers to assist some schools in the zone with reliable water sources for improved sanitation and hygiene.
National Presidential Taskforce Team co-Chair on Covid-19, Dr. Charles Phuka, said time has come for private sectors and business community to join hands with government by adopting some schools saying that government on its own cannot manage to address all issues affecting schools.
“Covid-19 fight is not only a government’s show. All of us have a role to play because some of the challenges that these schools are facing can be sorted out locally without necessarily depending on the central government,” said Phuka.
However, Phuka said he was impressed that many leaners have knowledge of Covid-19 and many of them were in face mask during classes.
“We need to continue observing the stipulated preventive measures because we may face a second wave of the pandemic as is the case in some countries. We don’t need to relax though the figures of active cases are dropping on daily basis,” he said.
Currently, the country has 34 total active cases with zero new case.
We are now talking a vaccine that has been developed by Pfizer/Biotech. When is the vaccine reaching Malawi. We are tired of wearing masks and a ngongole sakuwoneka nkhope.