Panic has gripped students and teachers of Muumandu Secondary School in Machakos County after one of the Form Four students tested positive for Covid-19.

Reports indicate medical staff from the County Department of Health and emergency services evacuated the male student from the institution to his parent’s home in Makueni County where he was put under home quarantine.

In a confidential letter authored by the school’s principal, Patrick Mwangangi addressed to the County TSC director of Education, some four teachers from the school who are believed to have come into contact with the student have also been advised to proceed on a 14-day self-quarantine.

“Health personnel took samples from the said teachers for Covid-19 testing as well as all the students who shared dormitory and classroom with the patient,” reads the letter which Standard Digital has obtained a copy of.

The principal further noted that the institution was thoroughly fumigated and the rest of the students and non-teaching staff were taken through a two-day sensitization on Covid-19 prevention and protocols.

Machakos County Minister for Health, Ancent Kituku confirming the incident said the situation had been brought under control and assured parents, students and teachers that the department had put in place measures to handle such cases.

“We want to assure the public that everything is in control and reassure the parents that the teachers and students have been taken good care of. We have also taken measures to carry out contact tracing,” Dr Kituku told Standard Digital over the phone.

He revealed at least two schools within Machakos County had reported cases of Covid-19 infection but none of them was symptomatic.