THERE are currently 54 students, teachers and other members of staff who have tested positive for the coronavirus in dorm facilities across the country, according to Minister of Health Dr. Frank Anthony. During his daily COVID-19 update with the Department of Public Information (DPI) on Friday, Dr. Anthony highlighted that based on the information received up to Friday, 30 students who returned to the dorm facilities tested positive for the novel coronavirus, while 11 teachers and 13 other members of staff also tested positive. The Health Minister noted that all of the patients have been placed in isolation. Some persons have been placed in institutional isolation, such as at the isolation facility in Diamond on the East Bank of Demerara, which can be utilised by infected individuals in Region Four. In some regions, however, there are greater accessibility challenges to such facilities due to the expansive geography of the region; and it may be difficult to utilise another place — besides the dorm facility — to institute institutional isolation.

Therefore, Dr. Anthony said that some students and staff are in isolation in separate rooms in the same dorm facilities to which they have returned. Here, he said, much emphasis is placed on abiding by safety protocols. There are dorms in Regions One, Two, Four, Five, Seven, Eight, Nine and 10. There have been cases recorded in all of these regions, according to the Health Minister. It is likely that the number of students and members of staff who have been infected with COVID-19 will increase, since students are still returning to these dorm facilities for school. The new school term began on Monday last, and in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Ministries of Health and Education have collaborated to ensure that all students returning from their homes to the dorm facilities are tested for the virus. This is done to ensure that those individuals are identified, isolated and taken care of, while preventing a further spread of the disease.