CLAIM: There is an outbreak of COVID-19 at Nashville High School
SOURCE: Social Media (Whatsapp and Facebook)
VERDICT: INCORRECT, the government dismissed the claims as they conducted tests for verification.
On Friday, October 22, rumours spread on Facebook and WhatsApp when a woman sent a voice note claiming that her child who goes to Nashville High School, a boarding school in Gweru, Midlands Province was not feeling well due to COVID-19.
Accompanying the voice note was a picture of children in uniform seating on a pavement giving the impression that they are not feeling well.
After the two went viral, there was panic on social media especially from parents and guardians who have their children at the above mentioned school as they were angry at the school authorities for not notifying them about such a serious issue.
However, later that day, the Ministry of Health and Child Care issued a statement rubbishing the claims and assuring parents and guardians that their children are safe for now as they conducted tests and all of them came out negative.
Part of the Health ministry’s statement reads.
“The Ministry of Health and Child Care wishes to inform parents and all concerned stakeholders that there are no cases of COVID-19 at Nashville High School in Gweru. Investigations conducted at the school today (yesterday) by the Provincial COVID-19 Rapid Response team led by the Provincial Medical Director have indicated that there are 16 cases of mild flu among the school children who are all boarders.
The school has 192 boarders, 628 day scholars and 38 teachers. All the boarders have been tested for COVID-19 and are all negative. The 38 teachers were also tested for COVID-19 and were also negative. Testing for day scholars is in progress.”
CONCLUSION: There are no COVID-19 cases so far at Nashville High School as tests conducted there all came out negative.
