The Presidential Taskforce on Covid-19 says it has instituted Covid-19 testing facilities in all boarding schools across the country to test students when they will be returning back to school this coming Monday.

According to Director of Basic Education in the Ministry of Education Gossamu Mafuta, school authorities are not supposed to ask students about their Covid-19 certificate as they will be tested right at the school campus.

Mafuta, who was speaking during the daily Covid-19 update, also disclosed that the Ministry has deployed 3220 out of the 3270 teachers in the Initial Primary Teacher Education (IPTE 30) on a five-month contract and they will be executing their duties as auxiliary teachers.

“The Ministry has already instituted measures in all public schools and it has also communicated to private schools to follow the same.

“And the authorities in collaboration with the Ministry of Health will be screening the students especially those in boarding schools,” said Mafuta.

Mafuta has pleaded with parents to send their children to school in time for them to get screened earlier as they will start the screening exercise on Sunday.

The instituted measures include wearing masks, washings hands and ensuring that social distance is observed during learning in classrooms.

The Ministry has also made available funds to all schools to be used for purchasing Covid-19 protective equipment.

Mafuta added that the Ministry has trained Covid-19 Committees in all primary and secondary schools who will be responsible for guiding the students once schools reopen.

For the meantime, the Ministry says it expects to have a maximum number of 40 students in a classroom as some leaners will be learning in low cost classrooms following the recruitment of the auxiliary teachers.