The Ministry of Health last year listed teachers among high priority categories of people to be vaccinated and this was also set as a condition for the reopening of schools, which remained closed for more than 22 months as the country battled the COVID-19 pandemic.
Education authorities in Lira have banned three unvaccinated
primary school teachers from accessing their school premises. Two of the teachers are from Anai and the other is from Aduku
Road Primary school in Lira City.
The Ministry of Health last year listed teachers
among high priority categories of people to be vaccinated and this was also set as a
condition for the reopening of schools, which remained closed for more than 22 months as the country battled the COVID-19 pandemic.
Schools and other institutions of learning were first closed in March
2020, shortly before the country registered its first cases of COVID-19. Although some of the classes were allowed to return in October 2020, the
government closed them again in May 2021, after the second wave of infections swept through the country. They were however reopened on January 10, 2020.
But it has now emerged that some teachers shunned the vaccination exercise. Lira City Inspector
of Schools Samuel Ogwok explained that during the ongoing school
inspection, it was established that three teachers did not have photocopies of their
vaccination cards on the school files, contrary to guidelines that were issued by both the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Health.
The three from Lira are said to have declined the vaccination under
the guise that their faith does not support vaccination of any kind.
//Cue in; “Almost all the teachers…
Cue out... also be safe.”//
The inspector was also concerned that many schools are
not adhering to the COVID-19 Standard Operating Procedures such as wearing facemasks and maintaining handwashing facilities around the school premises.
Eng//Cue in; “We
have noted…
Cue out...equipment put in.”//
The Deputy Resident City Commissioner Paul Eseru tasked
the school inspectors to always move with security teams so
that such culprits are arrested and brought to book. He added that security teams will take action against
the teachers.
//Cue in; “Next week we must…
Cue out...work it up.”//
Meanwhile, Lira Resident
City Commissioner Lawrence Egole warned teachers with fake
vaccination certificates to ensure that they are vaccinated before security
apprehends them.
//Cue in; “We are also aware…
Cue out… is
attempted murder.”//
So far over 5,000 teachers have been fully vaccinated in Lira
City.
