One matriculant has died after succumbing to COVID-19 related complications

The Free State Education department has confirmed that one matriculant has died after succumbing to COVID-19 related complications.The provincial department also notes that at least 12 learners from the Lephola Secondary School in Welkom have tested positive for the virus. The province has seen a surge in new infections over the last month with education officials expressing concern at the number of infections amongst school-going learners. Various schools have since been temporally shutdown as learners, teachers inlcuding supportive support staff await to hear whether they too have been infected by the virus.