THE HEALTH ministry has ordered 21 students from Girls College in Bulawayo, who attended a dinner party last week, to undergo COVID-19 tests. BY SILAS NKALA The school was closed last week after a COVID-19 case was detected at the institution after pupils hosted an Upper Six students leavers party. The student has since been placed on self-isolation. Bulawayo provincial medical director Welcome Mlilo confirmed the development on Friday. He said letters had been written to parents with children at one of the schools that attended the party so that they become vigilant. “We tested 21 students today (last Friday) who are contacts to one student at a primary school. “I understand the school asked siblings of those who attended the party at Girls College to be tested after there was a confirmed COVID-19 case,” Mlilo said. He, however, could not shed more light on the number of students that were at the party and how many people required contact tracing. On Friday, one of the affected schools indicated that it had sent one Lower 6th pupil and several Upper Six students that attended a dinner dance, which was also attended by students from another school who tested COVID-19 positive to self-quarantine. “Please note that the event in question took place outside school arrangements. “The (pupils), who have been instructed to go into self-isolation at home, will continue with their lessons online. “We would like to express our deepest appreciation to those parents, who voluntarily informed the school about their children's COVID-19 positive status for exercising a great sense of civic responsibility,” read a letter from Girls College. Primary and Secondary Education ministry spokesperson Taungana Ndoro urged parents of day scholars to be responsible for their children outside school premises. “Only about 0,05% of schools have been affected out of the 9 625 schools that we have. The majority of schools have managed to ensure the safety of children and our success story is at 99,95%,” he said.