Government says all Covid-19 positive students in boarding schools will not be allowed to go home until they recover.

The development follows a directive by President Lazarus Chakwera that students in boarding schools will remain in their respective campuses until health authorities assess the severity of infection in such schools to determine whether it is safe for the students to go home.

Minister of Education Agnes NyaLonje told a news conference in Lilongwe on Tuesday that all students who test positive will be looked after right at the school whilst in isolation.

“For students who test positive they will not be allowed to go home until they looked after in the schools and are certified to be okay.

I want to assure parents and guardians that the health officials working very closely with school management will make sure that these young learners are looked after in isolation and are given the best possible support and the Presidential Taskforce on COVID-19 will do their best to support the schools to provide such care and attention,” said NyaLonje.

According to NyaLonje, government has arrived at the decision with an aim of protecting the students and containing the spread of the virus.

“The reason for keeping these learners that have tested positive in boarding schools is to protect them and make sure that they are looked after very well and also to protect the families and the communities where these students come from,” said the education Minister.

And speaking at the same briefing, co-chairperson of the Presidential Taskforce on COVID-19 Dr John Phuka said the country has registered the highest number of 853 positive cases ever since the declaration of the pandemic totaling active number of cases to 7207 and 15 people have so far died in the past 24 hours.