The Cabinet Secretary for Education Mutahi Kagwe has implored teachers to get vaccinated against COVID-19. This is after he addressed fears that the teachers themselves may be vulnerable with their learners likely to be asymptomatic.
The Health CS said yesterday that enough vaccines are available for teachers across the country including the support staff.
“There is no shortage of vaccines for teachers and other workers of the school. Learning institutions will be safe as long as teachers get vaccinated,” said Mutahi Kagwe.
The CS stressed the importance of teachers getting vaccinated in order to curb the spread of COVID-19 in the country. According to experts, children are largely asymptomatic.
The CS was responding to the increased cases of COVID-19 across the country with teachers among those affected.
“Despite the increased infections we are seeing in schools, it is not a panic situation since we have put in place effective preventive measures,” said Kagwe.
CS Kagwe was accompanied by the CS of Health from Tanzania Dorothy Gwajima who is benchmarking in the country on COVID-19.
The two countries are looking for avenues of working together to curb the spread of the novel COVID-19 pandemic.
Among the issues, they were expected to have discussed before holding the press conference together were cross-border transportation, validation systems, and testing of COVID-19.
According to CS Mutahi Kagwe, the meeting was held to follow up on the meeting that the Head of State President Kenyatta held with Tanzania President Suluhu Hassan.
Dr. Gwajima revealed that Tanzania has been gradually leaving behind unconventional methods of fighting the virus and embracing technology. However, Tanzania’s former President Dr. John Pombe Maghufulihe was not a big fan of the approach.
The Tanzanian government had initiated a national campaign where people have been encouraged to inhale steam infused with herbs, eating fruits, vegetables and drinking a lot of water.
Dr. Gwajima revealed that indeed steam therapy worked, saving many lives of Tanzanian’s lives, hers included, following infection with the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I am a living testimony of how our traditional approach saved the lives of Tanzanians,” she revealed.