The well-known Jewish school in Cape Town is now on a ‘soft lockdown’ following concerns of a possible coronavirus case. This decision was made after a parent of one of the students at United Herzlia Schools recently travelled abroad to the United States and is now awaiting test results.

A representative for the school confirmed that a student’s father had recently returned from a trip where he attended a conference. He later found out that other attendees had tested positive for coronavirus. The father is now back in South Africa and has been tested for the virus, and is expecting his results on Friday, March 13.

As a cautionary measure, Herzlia has decided to put a soft lockdown on all eight of their campuses. The students will continue with their school work remotely for Thursday, March 12 and Friday, March 13. Whether or not the students return to school is dependent on the father’s test results. If the father is positive, learners will not return to school until next term, and will continue with remote learning. If the father’s test comes back negative, the learners will return to campus on Monday, March 16.

Speaking to YOU, Andries van Renssen, director of United Herzlia Schools in Cape Town said: “We don’t think there’s any reason for panic – we’re just erring on the side of caution. We’re waiting for the result of the parent’s test and will then act accordingly.”

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