St. Comboni students in Juba, South Sudan. PHOTO//Garang Malaak/Eye Radio

Health experts in the country have advised the Ministry of Education to first put in place coronavirus preventative measures before reopening schools.

This follows the government’s announcement on Friday that schools can reopen after months of closure due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Addressing the press on Sunday, the spokesperson of the Ministry of Health, Dr. Thuou Loi said the ministry of education and other partners should ensure schools are equipped with COVID-19 preventive tools to safeguard learners.

“We call on the relevant institutions to ensure that basics are put in place in our schools and universities especially issues related to hand hygiene,” said Dr. Loi.

Dr. Loi insists proper hygiene and sanitation should be a top priority for all learning institutions intending to resume classes.

“We will work with relevant authorities to ensure that they are provided with reusable masks…let’s work together — Ministry of Health, Ministry of Higher Education and General Education and other relevant partners to make sure that those basics are made available so that our students resume learning in an environment that will protect them from Covid-19,” he said.

The government in March closed borders, schools, non-essential businesses, and limited public transport in its fight against the Covid-19 pandemic.

But in July, Save the Children, Unicef and Unesco called on the country to review the suspension of learning and reopen schools, saying evidence showed children were being harmed by staying at home.

As of Sunday, South Sudan had 2,587 confirmed cases of the coronavirus, including 49 deaths and 1,438 recoveries.