Shortly after confirming a case of Monkeypox (Mpox) at a public school, the Gauteng Education Department has retracted the statement, saying it broke government communications, testing and verifications protocol.
The department earlier today said a grade one schoolgirl at Iketleng Primary School in Hammanskraal had tested positive for Mpox earlier this week and they had received information from the school.
“The Gauteng Department of Education (GDE) wishes to retract the statement issued earlier today regarding the confirmation of the first Monkeypox case at Iketleng Primary School in Hammanskraal,” said spokesperson Steve Mabona.
“It has come to our attention that the results concerning the suspected Monkeypox case must first be verified by the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) and the Department of Health (DoH).”
The department said it further acknowledged that the announcement of any confirmed cases should be made by the NICD and the DoH following thorough testing and verification.
“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.”
The department said they were now awaiting the official verification from the NICD and will defer to the Department of Health for any further announcements on this 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,” said Mabona.
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