– says Health Minister
By Vishani Ragobeer
STUDENTS who returned to various dorm facilities as the new school term began on Monday were tested for the virus, COVID-19, and those students who tested positive are now isolated and being taken care of by the Ministries of Health and Education.
During his daily COVID-19 update on Monday, Minister of Health, Dr. Frank Anthony, said that all of the students who returned to the dorms across the country would be tested. This testing has already begun since many students returned before the term started and, thus far, the minister disclosed that “a number of students” have tested positively. He did not provide exact figures, but he highlighted that testing is still ongoing as students are still returning to the dorms from various areas.
He also said that the ministry expects that there will be further increases in the number of positive students, given that they are returning from various communities and they may have been in contact with persons who are COVID positive. These students are all generally asymptomatic, which means that they are not exhibiting any of the symptoms of the virus. Common symptoms include fever, dry cough and tiredness. Less common symptoms and severe symptoms include sore throat, headache, loss of taste or smell, and difficulty breathing.
Even so, they will all be isolated for at least 10 days so that the virus is not spread to others. Minister Anthony assured that while in isolation, the students will be fed and that educational materials will be provided to them.
“If they do exhibit some signs and symptoms, they will be treated and monitored,” he said. Last year, after the announcement that schools would reopen from November 9, the Ministries of Health and Education began working together to prepare for the return of students in grades 11, 12 and 13, even as the pandemic continued.
“We are on top of things like that. Persons went home, and they’re now back, so we’re now testing them back again,” Minister of Education, Priya Manickchand, told the Guyana Chronicle on Sunday, ahead of the reopening of schools.
Both antigen rapid tests and Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) tests have been utilised to test all students returning to the dorm facilities. It is important to test all of these students as they will be living together for an extended period of time.
Aside from students in dorm facilities, the students and teachers at other schools are not required to get COVID-19 tests before returning to school. Previously, Minister Manickchand highlighted that if a student or teacher does become infected with COVID-19 while engaging in face-to-face learning, that the health authorities will be immediately contacted to take control of the situation.
“What happens if someone is tested (positive), whether it is in a home or any place, there is contact tracing done and certain periods of quarantine that happens,” she explained, reminding that these are the standard actions being taken by the Ministry of Health while treating with COVID-19.
