Preventive Measures Against the Spread of COVID-19: Exploring Policy Responses in Selected Primary Schools in Lusaka, Zambia

This is a brief report on a survey conducted to establish preventive measures against the spread of COVID-19 in selected primary schools in the city of Lusaka, Zambia. The survey was necessitated by the fact that even in the midst of the pandemic declared by the World Health Organization as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern on 30 January 2020, schools were reopened. The sample for the survey was purposively selected and largely comprised school administrators. Data were collected through phone interviews. The main fi ndings of the survey were that new operational policies for schools had been introduced, while key preventive measures against the spread of COVID-19 included the use of face masks, physical distancing and observance of high standards of hygiene and sanitation. The major challenges experienced included unwillingness by some parents to allow their children to return to school, non-adherence to physical distancing among pupils and reduced learning time following the splitting of large classes to enhance social distancing.