Over 30 dormitory students test positive for COVID-19 since reopening of schools

Nov 20, 2020 News

Minister of Health, Dr. Frank Anthony

Kaieteur News – Since the reopening of schools on November 9, over 30 dormitory students have tested positive for the novel coronavirus. This was disclosed by Minister of Health, Dr. Frank Anthony on Wednesday during his update on the COVID-19 virus.
The Minister stated that these students were not showing symptoms of the virus and they were only discovered after they carried out Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) tests on them.
“With a pandemic, you will expect that there are people who are going to be positive but like we have seen in other parts of the world, children generally are asymptomatic and they will have a milder form of the disease,” he also said.
Upon the reopening of schools for grades 10, 11, 12 and Technical and Vocation Education students, all students occupying school dormitories were required to have a PCR test done. This was to ensure that the possible spread of the virus among that student population was curbed. Adding to that, the Minister of Education, Priya Manickchand had stated that since many of these students were coming from areas that are COVID-19 hotspots, it was imperative that they track their status.
The Health Minister said that in light of the infection among students, the parents of a few dormitory students decided to take them back home, which was allowed by the Ministry. He explained that following discussions held between those parents, they were given the option of having their children taken to an institutional isolation facility or take them back home and isolate under strict guidelines.
Further, he disclosed that COVID-19 positive students who travelled from the hinterland to Region Four to stay at dormitories and conduct their studies are being isolated at the Diamond Hospital.
He also addressed the eight Kato Secondary School students who were brought to Region Four to attend the President’s College Secondary school. Four of these students had tested positive for the virus, but the Minister assured that they have been looked after and are being monitored.
In addition to the four Kato students, two students had tested positive for the virus at two separate schools in Bartica, Region Seven, while another two tested positive at a secondary school in Anna Regina, Region Two.
Kaieteur News understands that the rest of cases came from other regions including Region Nine.
Up to Wednesday, 32 students had tested positive for the virus countrywide.

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