Cape Town — The Gauteng Department of Education was forced to retract a statement saying that the Iketleng Primary School in Hammanskraal had recorded its first Mpox case.
Once the department had realised its error, it confirmed the results of the suspected case first needed to be thoroughly tested and verified by the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NCID) and the Department of Health (DoH), it said in a statement.
“We acknowledge that the announcement of any confirmed cases should be made by the NICD and the DoH following thorough testing and verification,” department spokesperson, Steve Mabona, said.
“Our initial statement was based on official correspondence received from the school. However, it appears that we may have acted prematurely in confirming the case without awaiting the final verification from the NICD. We apologise for any confusion or concern this may have caused,” he added.
Mabona said the Gauteng Department of Education is committed to communicating accurate and verified information to the public and currently awaits verification from the NICD before it will defer to the DoH for any further announcements on the matter.
“We appreciate the understanding and patience of our school communities as we work through this situation. The health and safety of our learners and staff remain our highest priority, and we will continue to collaborate closely with health authorities to provide accurate information and appropriate guidance,” he added.
MEDIA STATEMENT ON SUSPECTED MONKEYPOX CASE AT GAUTENG PUBLIC SCHOOL
It has come to our attention that the results concerning the suspected #Mpox case at a Gauteng public school must first be thoroughly tested and verified by @nicd_sa @HealthZA @GautengHealth. pic.twitter.com/2kc2dr5cCk
— Gauteng Department of Education (@EducationGP1) July 18, 2024
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Compiled by Matthew Petersen
African Insider
www.africaninsider.com
