Covid19 case at Holy Name Convent

Two parents have contacted Newsday to confirm that a student at Holy Name Convent, Port of Spain has tested positive for covid19.

In an internal memo obtained by Newsday, the principal told parents on Wednesday that a lower sixth form student had tested positive on Tuesday.

“Since the student had been on the compound, we have alerted the health authorities and are currently going through the procedure advised by the Ministry of Education,” said the e-mail.

It said all teachers and students who had been in direct contact with the student were notified and were not at school on Wednesday. It also said affected areas of the school would be sanitised, health officials would examine the case, and parents would be updated accordingly.

The e-mail said, “Please know that the school will continue to do everything in its power to ensure the safety and wellbeing of its entire population.”

But a father, speaking anonymously to Newsday on Thursday, said parents were not satisfied with the school’s handling of the situation.

He said his daughter told him the student was showing symptoms on Monday and Tuesday, but was allowed to stay in school.

Hhis daughter also said she saw the student in a designated quarantine area on Tuesday, and on Wednesday morning at 7.30 am, when she was in school, she heard from friends that the other student had tested positive the day before.

The father said, however, parents were not informed until 10.55 am.

“By that time students were already in school.”

Other concerned parents, he said, had contacted the principal for more information and many had decided to keep their daughters at home.

He said they were not aware of any other students exhibiting symptoms, but added, “I am not sending my daughter. I don’t know if she is going to be safe there. I want to find out more.

"Just sanitising the rooms the child was officially assigned to is not enough. They should have closed the school to sanitise and let people know.”

Newsday contacted the school for comment on Wednesday but administrative staff said the principal was teaching a class and could not come to the phone. On Thursday, Newsday was told the principal was not in office.