A disinfection team disinfects a classroom at Ivory Park Secondary School east of Johannesburg, South Africa, May 28, 2020, ahead of the school's June 1, 2020, re-opening date.
Some South African parents of seventh- and 12th-grade students are reluctant to allow their children back into schools, set to reopen Monday, saying current disinfection efforts are not enough to convince them it’s safe.
Work crews are now sanitizing schools in preparation for the planned reopening as the country slowly lifts lockdown measures.
One parent refusing to send his child back to school said the government has yet to make protective gear available for children.
South Africa’s leaders are struggling to contain the virus, which has infected more than 25,000, with more than 550 deaths.