LUSAKA, Jan. 24 (Xinhua) -- Education authorities in Zambia announced for the second time on Wednesday a further rescheduling of the reopening of schools as cholera cases continue to surge in the country.
Minister of Education Douglas Syakalima said that schools, which were expected to open on Jan. 29, will now open on Feb. 12. Initially, schools were scheduled to open on Jan. 8, 2023.
During a press briefing, Syakalima told reporters that the authorities insisted that schools should not open as scheduled due to the current cholera situation, following a country-wide assessment.
"The Ministry of Health has been monitoring the situation, and at the same time, the Ministry of Education has been conducting school inspections in all 10 provinces to ascertain their readiness to open," he said. The ministry has since changed the school calendar for 2024.
Zambia has recorded 13,686 cholera cases and 518 deaths since October of last year. ■
