radhica.sookraj@guardian.co.tt
Seven children have tested positive for COVID-19 at two primary schools in south Trinidad.
Despite this, Minister of Education Dr Nyan Gadsby-Dolly is assuring that the principals are dealing with it in collaboration with the Education District Health Unit.
However, the parents of pupils attending these schools are questioning why they were not officially informed and why the schools have not yet been sanitised thoroughly.
Guardian Media was informed that on Thursday, two infant students at the Dayanand Memorial Vedic School developed symptoms while at the school in Penal. A source said they were isolated but the school was never closed.
The majority of parents were unaware of the development, however, and continued to send their children to school.
“We want to know why the rest of the school was not informed and why the school was not sanitised. We have been keeping our children safe for two years and now that we sent them back, this is what happened,” the source said.
A parent said rather than allow other children into the school, the officials should have immediately sanitised the compound.
Meanwhile, similar concerns were raised at San Fernando ASJA Primary, after a Standard Four pupil fell sick.
When contacted on the issue yesterday, however, ASJA Education Board chairman Zainool Sarafat confirmed that by Wednesday, four more Standard Two pupils had tested positive for COVID-19. He said the classrooms were sanitised and parents were informed, in keeping with protocols of the ministry’s District Health Unit. He said the school had been doing temperature checks before entry and once the child fell ill, protocols were enforced.
“The student was isolated and the school informed the parents immediately. There is a quarantine room where the child was kept. All children were removed from the classes, which were then sanitised thoroughly,” Sarafat said.
He said on Wednesday, four other pupils of Standard Two fell ill and the District Health Unit was again alerted and parents were informed.
“We called the parents and asked the children to be quarantined. The classrooms were sanitised. The school has been functioning and so far since Thursday, none of the children in school has been ill. All protocols are being followed,” Sarafat said.
He noted that the schools will be sanitised again over the weekend.
Contacted for comment yesterday, Minister Gadsby-Dolly said since schools opened in February 2021 there have been COVID cases.
“The principals are supported in the management of these cases by the staff of the Education District Health Unit. There are clear guidelines for COVID-19 case management which all principals have been apprised of, which include communication to the school community,” she said.