The closure of all schools in Guyana has been extended until further notice, according to the National COVID-19 Task Force.
The Task Force, which is coordinating the country’s response to the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, made the announcement yesterday following a virtual meeting on Thursday on a number of issues.
Schools across the country have been closed for almost a month due to COVID-19 and the reopening was slated for next Monday.
However, the Task Force said in a statement yesterday that they would remain closed and that E-Learning would continue.
Meanwhile, plans to manage school promotion have not been considered as yet.
In a telephone interview, Mondale Smith, the Personal Assistant to the Minister of Education Nicolette Henry, told Stabroek News that so far the only decision which was made by the Task Force is the further closure of all schools. “…Whatever the Task Force issued is all,” Smith said when asked whether the ministry had made any plans regarding promotions.
Smith explained that the decision for the extension of the closure was not that of the Ministry but that of the Task Force and it was taken to ensure the safety of the students and the public.
The extended closure of the schools will set students back by one and a half term, since schools were only opened for two months after the annual Christmas vacation, for the ‘Easter term.’
The Minister of Education declared a two-week closure of all schools just days after the first confirmed COVID-19 case. The confirmation was announced on March 11th and schools were closed from the following Monday. The closure was subsequently extended until the start of the new term, which was due to begin next Monday.
While the schools are closed, students are being encouraged to take advantage of the education websites and educational radio and television broadcasts that are being provided by the Ministry to ensure that they continue to learn while at home. Some teachers have also been reaching out to their students through technology to get school work and assignments done.
Meanwhile, the Task Force statement also announced that it has appointed a sub-committee to advise on social assistance. This sub-committee is chaired by Director General of the Ministry of the Presidency Joseph Harmon and includes Ministers Amna Ally, Catherine Hughes and Haimraj Rajkumar along with Task Force Secretary Imran Khan and is to also include a designated senior official from the Ministry of Finance.
It was also noted that the NCTF received requests for specially approved flights to repatriate foreign nationals who are in Guyana and approved some of these including a request from the Canadian High Commission to repatriate Canadian nationals using WestJet. The advice and guidance of the Ministry of Public Health and the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority are critical in the Task Force’s decision-making in this regard, it noted.
The Task Force has also received a formal request from the Guyana Bar Association to classify attorneys-at-law as essential workers who are required to work during the curfew hours of 6pm to 6am. This request is under consideration, the Task Force said.
According to the statement, the Task Force also continues to receive information of Guyanese citizens who are in various parts of the world seeking to return to Guyana.
The Task Force said that while it is sympathetic to their situation, it considers it a priority to ensure that all citizens in Guyana are protected from the spread of COVID-19 and reiterates that Guyana’s international airports remain closed to incoming passengers until May 3rd. An assessment is to be done, prior to May 3rd, to determine whether the airports can reopen to passenger traffic or whether it is necessary for the closure to be extended.
The Task Force also pleaded with citizens to continue and intensify practising social distancing, to adhere to the curfew and stay at home order and all official COVID-19 advisories.