Teachers union calls for rapid Covid-19 testing at matric marking centers
The South African Democratic Teachers Union (Sadtu) has called on the Basic Education Department to run rapid Covid-19 tests at all 117 marking centers across the country.
The call follows the death of a KwaZulu-Natal marker from Covid- related complications.
The teacher also exposed others at a centre in KZN.
"We have made a call that rapid testing must be conducted proactively. Every province now needs to do what the Eastern Cape has done at its centers. The view is that they need to be able to detect cases, isolate new ones, and trace and track so that marking centers do not become super spreaders," says Sadtu general-secretary Mugwena Maluleke.
"We heard that the marker in KZN reported for duty feeling sick which goes against all the protocols that have been put into place."
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Maluleke said if this is not done it poses a risk to the markers and the marking process.
A total of 2 703 markers have withdrawn from the process while 238 tested positive for Covid-19.
