Covid19 case at Mason Hall Sec worries teachers

CLOSED: Mason Hall Secondary School shut its doors on Monday for deep cleaning and sanitisation after a student contracted covid19. PHOTO BY DAVID REID  -
CLOSED: Mason Hall Secondary School shut its doors on Monday for deep cleaning and sanitisation after a student contracted covid19. PHOTO BY DAVID REID -

Mason Hall Secondary School has been temporarily closed after a student tested positive for covid19.

After 30 days without recording any new cases, Tobago's Division of Health, Wellness and Family Development reported two new cases on Monday, one being the student.

When contacted, Secretary of Education, Innovation and Energy Marslyn Melville-Jack told Newsday her division had been informed by the Division of Health, Wellness and Family Development.

She said in response, her division had decided to close the school temporarily to ensure all protocols and guidelines are observed, including thoroughly sanitising the school.

“The division is working closely with the Chief Medical Officer (CMO) and the Division of Health, Wellness and Family Development," she said. She said teachers, other members of staff, students and other people who deal with with schools, as well as the general public, should "adhere to all preventative and safety measures as highlighted by the Ministry of Health."

The division, she said remains committed to ensuring the safety of all teachers, other members of staff and students in working to fight the spread of covid19.

School supervisor SherryAnn Rollocks-Hackett is expected to address a news conference on Tuesday hosted by the Division of Health, Wellness and Family Development, when more information will be given.

A teacher at the school, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said the principal received a call from health officials on Sunday informing her of the situation. She said her colleagues are worried.

TTUTA Tobago officer Bradon Roberts said some teachers were concerned: "Those who would have gone out to school but would not have been called as part of the contact tracing to be tested. We continue to monitor to see if they would become secondary contacts...We continue to monitor and try not to have it as such an alarming situation, as panic can make it get worse.”

Roberts called for the contact tracing to be done as swiftly and precisely as possible, “because you may look at the primary contacts for the class, but this child may have been able to interact with people on the way to school, just before the class, when the class ended. We don’t know which part of the school the child would have roamed, who the child interacted with that they cannot recall.

"So that is the challenge with schools. Schools have (fewer) adults now because it is a blended approach, so there are (fewer) teachers to monitor the various areas of the school, so monitoring students’ behaviour, it is more challenging.”

Schools resumed face-to-face learning for secondary students of forms four-six preparing for exams on February 8.

The Division of Health confirmed in a press release that the school will be closed for deep cleaning and sanitising. It added that contact tracing is ongoing, and said the division is collaborating closely with the Education Division to manage the situation.

The division said with the two new covid19 cases recorded, there are currently two active cases in Tobago.

The release said the number of covid19-related deaths in Tobago remained at two. To date 2,942 samples have been submitted to the Tobago Regional Health Authority, the Caribbean Public Health Agency and other local testing sites. So far, 157 samples have tested positive.

Roberts said in terms of health protocols, the division would have done its best, but there were still a number of challenges at schools.

“They have so far been able to touch the various areas of the health protocols: they would have been able to now procure tents, treat with the sanitising supply. However the shortcomings within the schools would make the health protocols difficult to manage.

“Yes, we are in economically challenging times, but we know the government finds monies for areas when they need to find money, and in this crisis those who make the noise, get the attention.

"The division cannot just sit back and hope that things go well. They need to advocate for the necessary funding that would allow them to adequately treat with the schools so that the health protocols would be easier to manage and we would be better off in terms of health and safety and the advancement of education.”

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