The Director of the Emile Ndjapou Institution and her assistant have confirmed the detection of COVID-19 cases within the school and expressed concerns about the potential risk of spreading the virus due to the laxity in following preventive measures among the Central African population.
The information regarding confirmed COVID-19 cases at the Emile Ndjapou Institution in Bangui, and the requirement for all students to present a negative COVID-19 test result before being allowed to attend classes, is accurate and verifiable.
To verify this circulating information in Bangui, the AFC Fact-Checking editorial team visited the Emile Ndjapou Institution to clarify the situation.
In an exclusive interview with AFC, Mrs. Huberte Ndjapou, the Director of the Emile Ndjapou Institution, confirmed: “Yes, we discovered COVID-19 cases here in our school. Initially, a few students showed symptoms of COVID-19, which is why I required all students to take the test, and eventually, many students tested positive. The isolation rule is applied to students who tested positive, while those who are not positive are allowed to attend the school.”
She further stated: “It wasn’t easy with the parents, as some strongly refused the test. I had to close the school for an emergency meeting and discussion with the parents. Eventually, they understood the importance of the test, which has helped us effectively fight this pandemic within our institution, which continues to cause significant harm among the Central African population.”
Madame Christelle Ndjapou, the Deputy Director of the Emile Ndjapou Institution, added: “Thanks to awareness campaigns by certain NGOs about the fight against COVID-19 in our school, we were better able to detect COVID-19 symptoms. This coincided with the vaccination campaign launched by the Ministry of Education. Some students over the age of 18 have received their vaccination against the coronavirus. Our goal is to combat the rapid spread of COVID-19 within the population.”
The mandatory handwashing to reduce the risk of viral and bacterial contamination is complemented by other preventive measures, such as wearing masks, protective clothing, and maintaining social distancing to better protect against the virus.
Fouf-Kagna Grebaye / Fact-Checking Editorial Team
