What happens if a school is exposed to the COVID-19 virus?
Now that government has given the proverbial green light for all schools to resume face-to-face classes starting September, one might ask, ‘what if a school becomes exposed to COVID-19?’.
Education Minister Dr Natalio Wheatley says local health officials would have to be called.
“If a child reports to school having been directly exposed to COVID-19, the public health team will be contacted immediately. Contact tracing will commence and they will make the appropriate decisions on additional measures based on their findings,” he said in a public broadcast this week.
The minister further implored parents not to send their child to school if they suspect he/she has been exposed to COVID-19. They are, instead, advised to contact the public health team immediately.
As for the protocols that must be followed while on campus, Dr Wheatley said each student is expected to come to on-site classes with a mask or face shield, their hand sanitiser, and cleaning wipes.
“We’ll continue to ensure that all the sanitation and hygiene protocols are in place. Washbasins must be visible for hand washing, sanitisers must be in all classrooms for ongoing sanitation throughout the day,” the minister stated.
He added: “All persons on school campuses must wear a mask or face shield at all times.”
Dr Wheatley further said visitation to school campuses will continue to be restricted. Each school is expected to decide how visitors will be accommodated with the restricted guidelines.
All COVID protocols in schools will be updated and made available to parents and the general community as needed.
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Can health department or someone with true knowledge update the public about the difference between the common cold and flu that we had in the past before covid 19 outbreak. Is everything now lumped under one topic as covid-19 here in the BVI?Researchers from the CDC recently said that the PCR test cannot detect the difference.Are the cold and flu rigestered as covid cases or labled as variants? Lets get some honest and truthfull answers so we can understand.
You cannot expect people to honestly answer about things they do not truly understand. Nobody understands and that’s why every week there’s some new goal post. COVID started last year with a hand full of symptoms and now includes ALL SYMPTOMS OF ALL ILLNESSES one could possibly contract.
The difference is that one can land you in hospital on a ventilator. Not known as results of a cold or flu up till now.
The PCR test is highly accurate. You don’t really want the truth – you can’t handle it.
Covid will come to the schools. They are not immune. That is why everyone over the age of 18 needs to get vaccinated and everyone wears masks properly. It can be done. too many people with “medical issues” need to vaccinate. Its just a matter of when it enters the schools so stay safe! Don’t hesitate,vaccinate if you value our future generation!
Has anything been done about the restroom facilities at CTL?
My son says they only have one toilet and one urinal for all the boys on campus.
He says also that there is no window in the restroom so whenever someone uses it you can smell it from in the passage way.
Under normal circumstances this is bad. With covid it’s a disaster waiting to happen.
Doesn’t sound like a very convincing plan. Does each island have the facilities for contact tracing? In the time it takes to get all that going, the spreading event would be over. Is it wise to wait until something like this happens, or is it worth investing in 15 minute antigen tests, and administer those periodically/ randomly before school? Keep in mind that more than 50% of infections have no symptoms.
Will there be temperature checks before entry?
Has the minister of education been on any school campus during the last school year without announcing himself so that he sees the true daily situation?
The school my child attends had classrooms with no distancing being enforced, close contact group activities with masks down, staff with masks down, PE and playground play without distancing, general socializing with no distance or masks.
Why do you all keep talking that covid 19 protocols when the territory school environments were breaking these the whole time they were open and will continue to do so?
Disaster in the making Mr minister. Disaster because if one child is sick in a class of 20 thats 20 households with say an average of 2 adults working at 40 different places.
Tracing is not prevention. IDIOTS.
I dont have a school aged child, however I am concerned. I feel that for the reopening of schools to work that the wider community should be subject to levels of mandatory behavior. I feel that persons should be required to produce either their vaccine status or rapid test results before being allowed into all establishments i.e. the regular work offices, bars, salons, schools etc.