More than half of the teachers in Nabilatuk district may not be able to access class today (31st, May) because of strict guidelines issued by the district COVID-19 task force. According to the district COVID-19, only teachers with COVID-19 vaccination certificates will be allowed to teach.
The decision follows the increasing COVID-19 cases among learners in Nabilatuk. Records from the district indicate that 14 out of the 59 COVID-19 positive cases registered there are primary school children. The records also show that only 75 out of the 250 teachers in the district have taken the COVID-19 jab.
Milton Odongo, the Nabilatuk Resident District Commissioner, who doubles as the COVID-19 Taskforce Chairperson, says that they have deployed police in all the schools to ensure that only teachers with COVID-19 vaccination certificates access classrooms.
According to Odongo, health workers in the district have been given an ultimatum of one week to get the COVID-19 jab. He says the district cannot the risk lives of residents because of irresponsible civil servants.
Raymond Korobe, the Nabilatuk District Education Officer declined to pick or return our repeated calls but some of the teachers in the district, say the decision by the task force is unfair to them.
“It’s not that teachers don’t want to take the vaccine but there are so many unresolved issues surrounding the vaccine especially the myths and perceptions. Just jumping to stop teachers from accessing learners isn’t a solution because it’s children who will suffer at the end of the day”, one of the teachers said.
At least 1,070 people across the district have taken the jab using the 1,100 doses received in March. The district has also received an additional 449 doses in the second batch.
