By LEANDRA ROLLE

Tribune Staff Reporter

lrolle@tribunemedia.net 

BAHAMAS Union of Teachers President Belinda Wilson yesterday expressed concern with the number of suspected COVID-19 cases being recorded in public schools across New Providence, claiming that most of the cases are students, some “as young as five-years-old”.

The union president raised alarm about the issue in a voice note sent to the media yesterday, where she revealed that several schools in the capital have been plagued with COVID-19 infections. Mrs Wilson initially identified six schools with COVID cases, however the Ministry of Education later clarified that one school listed — TG Glover Primary School — does not have a confirmed case. 

This comes after the Ministry of Education issued a notice on social media yesterday, advising parents of the closure of the CR Walker High School, Carlton Francis Primary School and CV Bethel High School at noon.

Yesterday, Education Minister Jeff Lloyd told reporters that some schools had recently been exposed to COVID. 

“I am advised this morning that there were three cases over the last four or five days at individual schools. I am getting the report on those and as soon as I do, I will share with you,” he said.

However, according to Mrs Wilson, the latest facilities to be hit from the respiratory virus are L W Young Junior High School, C R Walker Senior High School, H O Nash Jr High School, Garvin Tynes Primary High School and Carlton Francis Primary School.

The BUT head also claimed that most of the positive cases at the respective institutions were students, with some as young as five-years-old testing positive for the virus. She also urged teachers to protect themselves, noting that their safety “comes first.”

“As COVID cases continue to rise in the country and specifically, New Providence, the Bahamas Union of Teachers note that there are positive cases at the following schools: L W Young Junior High, C R Walker Senior High, H O Nash Jr High, Garvin Tynes Primary, T G Glover Primary and Carlton Francis Primary. We note that the majority of the cases are students as young as five-years-old.”

In the case of T G Glover, the Ministry of Education said there was not a confirmed case there, explaining that “last week we had miscommunication, however after consultation with the relevant persons, the student was not confirmed as a positive case.”

Yesterday, Mrs Wilson also raised concern over the fact that education officials are allegedly not being “forthcoming” with the information about the suspected or confirmed COVID cases.

She said teachers deserve to be informed in a timely manner and need be assured that all of the proper health protocols are being followed in such events.

“What is concerning for us, though, is that some principals and the Ministry of Education officials are not forthcoming about the information about the cases and/or they are delayed in informing the teachers, parents and the union of suspected cases or confirmed cases,” she said in a statement.

“The BUT demands that the teachers be informed in a timely manner and that the COVID-19 team address teachers and staff members, that contact tracing be done and testing of teachers who are contacts of persons who would’ve tested positive and that quarantine time be given and that the schools be cleaned, disinfected and sanitised.

“The alleged withholding of information by the Ministry of Education officials is unacceptable. This is a matter of urgency and health and the Ministry of Education is obligated to follow the protocols and inform the various stakeholders,” Mrs Wilson added.

For his part, Mr Lloyd insisted that each school have a COVID-19 response plan in place should a case be identified there.

“They have protocols in place that if you are tested positive that there is a response that must happen,” the education minister stressed. “First of all, obviously you must be quarantined and there must be a cleansing of the environment and all persons with whom you have come into contact must themselves be quarantined. This is the feature of contact tracing.”

Schools across the country closed last March as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, but were later reopened after the summer break last October.

However, schools in New Providence, Abaco, Eleuthera and Exuma were teaching virtually until given the go ahead to begin phased face-to-face learning in February.