Universities body tackles issue of student COVID-19 cases

Failure by students to adhere to lockdown safety regulations by hosting parties and carelessly mingling is of great concern and needs urgent action. The matter was raised at the meeting of the board of directors of Universities of South Africa, which deliberated on ways to ensure students did not turn universities into sources of COVID-19 infections, writes Ntando Makhubu for Pretoria News.

At the meeting, vice-chancellors reached a consensus to work jointly in addressing the issue. Board spokesperson Mateboho Green said: “Noting that COVID-19 remains active in the country, as evidenced by more 1,000 new cases being reported daily, the vice-chancellors of all 26 public universities have cautioned students to keep this in mind in their day-to-day behaviour on campuses and in residences.”

Fresh reports of the rising numbers of COVID-19 infections in students had been seen at the East London campuses of the University of Fort Hare and Walter Sisulu University, heightening fears for the board that students were not heeding the call to uphold the widely communicated safety protocols.
Full report on the IOL site