Minister of Health Dr. Frank Anthony has confirmed that at least 32 students have tested positive for COVID-19 since the reopening of schools.
Giving a COVID-19 update on Wednesday, Anthony said both his ministry and the Ministry of Education are working closely and their strategic plan to deal with cases in the school system is being followed. He also said that with each student and teacher who tests positive contact tracing is done in their home by both the Regional Health and Education officers. He also disclosed that most of the diagnosed cases among students have been mild, with the majority being asymptomatic.
Since the reopening of schools on November 9th to facilitate in class learning for students due to sit Caribbean Examinations Council examinations next year, there have been several COVID-19 cases detected among both students and teachers in dormitory secondary schools, such as President’s College, where students tested positive, and schools at Region One and Seven. At a Bartica school, both teachers and students have tested positive. While in Region Nine there were positive results for rapid antibody tests, the teachers and students who subsequently underwent PCR tests all tested negative.
While the positive tests have prompted criticism by the opposition and the Guyana Teachers’ Union over the government’s decision to reopen schools, Education Minister Priya Manickchand has repeatedly said that the decision to reopen schools was a carefully decided one and that stringent protocols are being followed to stem the possible spread of the coronavirus. She has explained to this newspaper that students who test positive are removed from the rest of the students and taken into isolation immediately. While contact tracing is done by the Health Ministry.
Regarding recoveries among those who tested positive, a Ministry of Health spokesperson informed that the positive cases at President’s College are on their way to being discharged from isolation. The spokesman said that a student has been discharged, four others are expected to be discharged over the weekend, and the three remaining students will be discharged on Monday. It was further explained that because the students are asymptomatic they were isolated for ten days. The spokesperson also confirmed that there is a positive case from Region Ten.
