Almost half of the persons who have tested positive for the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in the Moruca sub-district, in Region One (Barama-Waini), are teachers and the Ministry of Education yesterday ordered all schools there shuttered until the spread of the virus is contained.
About 573 students who are preparing to write crucial national and regional examinations are affected, the ministry disclosed in a statement yesterday. “Alternative methods of engagement” are being implemented to ensure that the 359 Grade Six students who will write the National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA) and the 214 Grade 11 students who will write the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) examinations next month are prepared, the ministry said.
In its statement, the ministry disclosed that 11 teachers of the Moruca sub-district have tested positive for COVID-19 as of noon yesterday. In total, Region One has recorded 24 cases of COVID-19, inclusive of one death. Of that number, 23 cases are from the Moruca sub-district.
The ministry said that the Regional Health Officer (RHO) has since advised that with the increasing number of confirmed cases in the Moruca sub-district, the situation there is now deemed as “community transmission.” Additionally, the RHO has requested a community lockdown for a period of 14 days.
The Department of Education, under guidance from the Ministry of Education, with effect from yesterday closed all schools in the sub-district until the spread is contained, the statement said. The ministry said that thoughts and prayers are with the teachers and their families who are affected.
“We wish to reiterate that the health, wellbeing and safety of all our teachers and learners across the country continue to be our main priority during this season of engagement and examinations,” the ministry said. It added that it continues to closely monitor the situation.
Describing the experience yesterday, one of the affected teachers, who is among the 12 confirmed cases recorded on Thursday, told Stabroek News that after being swabbed, it took almost one week for them to receive their results. The teachers are attached to the Santa Rosa secondary, primary and nursery schools. Eight others who have tested positive for COVID-19 are employees of the Kumaka District Hospital.
Speaking via telephone, the teacher said that she and her colleagues were tested because one of their colleagues at the primary school had tested positive for COVID-19 in May.
Following the closure of schools, she said, she rarely left her home and the few times she did was to go to the school. “I was in school on the 21st of May, then I went back on the 22nd to collect my salary. There was the hamper distribution around May 25th but I was not directly involved in that,” she recalled.
Called out
She stated that after it was announced that schools would be reopening to facilitate the NGSA and the CSEC exams, the primary school staff was called to a meeting at the school. That was the only instance that she came into contact with her colleagues.
“All the staff were present at the meeting at the primary school and because one of our colleagues tested positive before that we were told that we had to be tested,” she disclosed.
The patient added that she is still trying to figure out where she could have gotten infected with the virus but given her limited contact and places that she visited, it is possible that she got infected at the school.
“There is no other way; I am trying to figure out where I could really pick up this virus and ‘cause our colleague tested positive on the 23/24 in May, we were still called upon to go to work, which we did. Six of the teachers were directly in contact with the patient because they were involved with the packing of hampers and distribution as well,” the woman stated.
As a result, she said, they were scheduled to be tested on June 12th but they were not tested until June 13th.
She revealed that they only received their test results on Thursday morning, almost one week after they were tested. “On Saturday we got tested and until Thursday like minutes to 10, I was called and likewise my other colleagues and informed that we were positive,” she recounted.
“We were called upon to do our work even though we have a lot of cases, even though there is a lockdown. And we were still called upon to go out. I feel really sad because I have my two children, I have my family and they never go out anywhere and so I feel really sad. Now they are at home because they cannot go out anywhere for food stuff and that is another thing or so; I do not know who is going to help them or who is going to give a helping hand,” the patient lamented.
She revealed that the first person who tested positive for COVID-19 was the teacher from the secondary school followed by one from the primary and one from the nursery school. The eight teachers who tested positive on Thursday are all from the primary school, she further revealed.
Given the overwhelmed health system in the community, the 12 patients were not isolated until late Thursday night. Although an isolation facility was constructed before the first case of COVID-19 was recorded, it can only accommodate four persons. As a result, the Aquero Guest House was converted into an isolation facility but that too can only accommodate a limited amount of persons.
As a result, 10 of the 12 new cases were placed in isolation at the Santa Rosa Amerindian Hostel, which is still undergoing renovations.
The patient revealed that although the rooms at the hostel are clean, there is only one bathroom and toilet, which all who are there have to use. She said that eight teachers and two health officials were placed at the hostel. Three patients are in one room and although there is enough space in the room, she said, patients feel that they should have been placed in their own rooms.
Stabroek News was told that the hostel is almost filled and the room that is available does not have any beds. “There is a little space but the hostel looks like it wasn’t completed,” a patient said.
Meanwhile, as a result of the new cases, Toshao of Santa Rosa, Whanita Phillips, told Stabroek News that the village council will be enforcing another lockdown, which commences today. She said that the village council had tried to enforce four previous lockdowns but some people refused to adhere to the restrictions.
“The lockdowns haven’t been going too well. We have had like four lockdowns already and the village council [has] been trying very hard to keep people from travelling but while some are adhering to the rules, some are not,” she said.
She said that the lockdown will be enforced until further notice. Phillips added that the village council hopes persons would adhere to the restrictions now that the COVID-19 cases have risen in the area.
