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- Thirty students from the University of Fort Hare tested positive for Covid-19 after going out for a drink at a tavern in Quigney and later attending a party.
- The students tested positive after an alleged breach of alert level 1 regulations.
- A 134-bed residence on the Alice campus is being used as a quarantine and isolation facility.
A total of 30 students from the University of Fort Hare in the Eastern Cape tested positive for Covid-19 after going out for a drink at a tavern in Quigney, and a week later they attended a party, the university confirmed.
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According to the university, the students tested positive after an alleged breach of Level 1 alert standards, claiming no masks were worn, no social distancing was observed, and hands were not washed or sanitized at a tavern in Quigney.
Fort Hare spokeswoman Tandi Mapukata said students from the East London campus went to the tavern on October 3.
“This breach was also evident in [10 October] where the ’10-10 2020 Bash ‘was held in Quigney, “added Mapukata.
The Eastern Cape Health Department launched a test and trace campaign after the leak.
“Most of the students who tested positive are from the Faculty of Nursing Sciences and [to] a minor degree from the Law School, ”Mapukata said.
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He said two students who tested positive went home: one to Mount Fletcher and the other to Reston in East London.
“Tracking teams in both Buffalo City and Joe Gqabi districts were able to locate them.”
The university has since reserved a 134-bed residence on the Alice campus, and is using it as a quarantine and isolation facility for students who tested positive.
“To date, the number of active cases is closer to 30, as the results are still coming in,” Mapukata added.
According to Sowetan Live, 900 students are still waiting for their test results.
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