Five teachers, 68 students test positive for Covid-19 at Bahati Girls

Nakuru Level Five Hospital

Nakuru Level Five Hospital health workers protest high Covid-19 cases among medics at the facility on October 19, 2020. Five teachers, 68 students test positive for Covid-19 at Bahati Girls Secondary School.

Photo credit:  Cheboite Kigen | Nation Media Group

What you need to know:

  • County executive for health Kariuki Gichuki confirmed the incident.
  • One student reported to have been rushed to Nakuru Level Five Hospital after developing complications.

Learning was disrupted at Bahati Girls Secondary School in Nakuru county on Thursday morning after 68 students and five teachers tested positive for Covid-19.

County executive for health Kariuki Gichuki confirmed the incident, stating that one student was rushed to Nakuru Level Five Hospital and admitted at isolation and management centre after she developed complications.

“The is an unfortunate incident but a medical team has already been dispatched to the school to monitor the condition of the students and teachers in isolation and those who have been quarantined,” Dr Gichuki said.

He noted that 115 students have been placed on quarantine in the school and more samples have been collected for testing.

According to Dr Gichuki, learning institutions are slowly becoming delicate in the wake of the spread of coronavirus but affirmed that a special team from his department continues to conduct Covid-19 prevention and management for learning institutions across the county.

Spread and infection

“The on-going program targets teachers, non-teaching staff and learners in all primary and secondary schools,” he said. 

The Public Health chief officer Samuel King’ori said wearing masks remains mandatory until the spread and infection of the Covid-19 pandemic is fully contained.

Mr King’ori cited non-compliance with health protocols as the main contributor to the quick spread of the virus in communities and learning institutions.

“Let this be a warning to those who don't wear face masks in public places. They will be arrested and prosecuted,” Mr King’ori said.

Nakuru County Acting Director of Education Geoffrey Kimani said the outbreak of the virus in the school was discovered by the health officials in Nakuru.

“Health officials have been monitoring the disease everywhere. It is an ongoing process and I have no details for now. If it was about education curriculum I would have given you more information,” said Mr Kimani.

The latest infections comes days after 52 students tested positive at Kolanya Salvation Army Boys High school in Busia, Teso North Sub-County.