Comboni students in Juba. Photo by Garang Malaak

Some schools in Juba are appealing to the Ministry of Health to embark on a massive Coronavirus awareness campaign in schools across the country.

This week, the World Health Organization warned that African countries should prepare for the worst as coronavirus cases continue to increase across the continent.

The WHO reports that the number of confirmed cases worldwide has exceeded 200, 000.

In South Sudan, during the swearing-in ceremony of the cabinet Ministers on Monday, President Salva Kiir banned all social gatherings, sporting, religious events, weddings and political activities due to Coronavirus fears.

The ban does not order for the closure of schools.

This has prompted some headteachers in Juba to appeal to the Ministry of Health to help in the sensitization of students on how to prevent COVID-19 from spreading.

“They are supposed to send the teams so that they give the right measures to help the students not to be affected,” said one teacher who did not want to be identified by name.

Another teacher said they have already started practising proper hygiene based on information gathered on local radios.

“For our part, we are doing hygiene awareness at school -especially on how a child should wash hands,” he said.

Both the World Health Organization and Center for Disease Control and Prevention suggests that the virus is mainly spread between people who are in close contact with one another.

This is because WHO says Coronavirus is spread through respiratory droplets produced when an infected person coughs or sneezes.

These droplets can land in the mouths or noses of people who are nearby or possibly be inhaled into the lungs.

The WHO is, however, advising the public to keep social distances, frequently wash hands with soap and water after being in a public place or after blowing the nose, coughing, or sneezing.