5 students at Lower Corentyne Secondary test positive for COVID-19

More than a week after the Port Mourant Training Centre (PMTC) was forced to shut down temporarily after recording positive COVID-19 cases amongst students, another school in Berbice, Region Six, has also seen an outbreak. 

On Friday, five students at the Lower Corentyne Secondary School tested positive for the virus, prompting calls for additional sanitisation measures and renewed questions about COVID-19 guidance for schools across the East Berbice-Corentyne region. 

According to information received, all five students are asymptomatic. Nevertheless, they were sent home, and school officials immediately began implementing precautionary measures.

The school is located in close proximity to the PMTC workshop, with only one building separating the two facilities.

Earlier this month, several students at the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) Training Centre at Port Mourant had tested positive for COVID-19. The residential facility was subsequently closed, and students were sent home while those who tested positive were isolated.

On Sunday, more than 90 per cent of students had returned to the Training Centre after the institution reopened amidst lingering concerns. Students were initially expected to return to the institution last Wednesday. However, parents and guardians were later advised not to send them back after it was determined that sanitisation and fumigation of the facility had not yet been completed.

Following the completion of those measures, students were instructed to return to the institution Sunday afternoon. 

Meanwhile, the Lower Corentyne Secondary School was granted permission to remain closed today, and officials are now seeking an extension until tomorrow, Tuesday, to allow additional sanitisation and fumigation work to be completed and for other relevant protocols to be implemented before classes resume.

Many teachers attached to the school had not yet been tested as of Sunday. School officials are hopeful that those teachers will be able to undergo testing today as efforts continue to determine whether any additional measures may be required.

Nevertheless, the developments have also raised concerns among school administrators across Region Six.

Several head teachers contacted by this publication said neither the Department of Education nor the Regional Health Authority had reached out to schools regarding updated COVID-19 protocols following the recent cases.

According to the educators, no circulars or advisories have been distributed outlining how schools should respond if students or staff test positive for the virus. The apparent lack of communication has left many schools uncertain about the procedures that should be followed should similar situations arise within their own institutions.

Despite positive COVID-19 cases being reported at two educational institutions within a week of each other, the Region Six health authorities have remained largely silent on the issue.

Efforts to contact Region Six Regional Health Officer Dr Vineshri Khirodhar for a comment on Sunday proved unsuccessful.

Meanwhile, earlier, Health Minister Dr Frank Anthony had said that while Guyana had not detected the NB.1.8.1 COVID-19 variant, health authorities remained vigilant and were monitoring developments.