Education officials in Renk town of South Sudan’s Upper Nile State are calling on the government and education partners to provide Covid-19 personal protective equipment for schools in the region.

The concerns come following the government's decision to reopen schools for candidate classes at the beginning of the month.

The director-general in the education ministry in the former Northern Upper Nile State, Paul Ajak told Radio Tamazuj that both primary and secondary schools lack Covid-19 personal protective equipment including face masks.

He said without protective equipment, the teachers and students are at a high risk of contracting the disease that has devastated the world.

Ajak noted that the ministry had set out clear procedures for sterilizing classes and maintaining physical distance while in school.

He appealed to parents to join hands with authorities in providing face masks for students who have to interact when at school.

The education official also urged the national government in Juba
to expedite the provision of PPEs to reduce the risk of massive infections.

According to the World Health Organization, there have been 2,807 cases confirmed in South Sudan with 55 deaths to date.