UKZN on high alert after 19 students test positive for Covid-19

02 November 2020 - 16:58 By suthentira govender
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Nineteen students at a Howard College campus residence tested positive for Covid-19 on Friday.
Nineteen students at a Howard College campus residence tested positive for Covid-19 on Friday.
Image: Sunday Times

Nineteen students at the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) are in isolation at a government facility after testing positive for Covid-19 on Friday.

University spokesperson Normah Zondo said it was distressing to announce that the students at Siphiwe Zuma residence at the Howard College campus had tested positive. Contact tracing is now under way.

“Tests were conducted with 200 students at this residence. The affected students have been sent to the department of health facilities for isolation.

“This development saddens us as we have taken every precaution possible to ensure the safety of our students. It is also incumbent on our UKZN community to be as vigilant as possible.”

She said the university had deployed a team of health-care experts to deal with the outbreak. “Students and staff are once again reminded that the mandatory precautions for coronavirus must continue despite the country being put on level 1 lockdown.”

The university has initiated interventions to prevent further outbreaks in the residence including restricting visits to the residence and increasing security to prevent visitors from entering.

Zondo said decontamination would be carried out all areas “where necessary” and visits to the residence would be curtailed to ensure the safety of other students.

“The majority of examinations are to be written in January 2021. Most assessments are taking place online and students who test positive for Covid-19 will return to campus only once fully recovered.”

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