The Ellerslie School will be closed for the next 14 days after a 15-year-old student there tested positive for COVID-19 yesterday.
The fifth-former is among six members of a family who have the viral illness after one of them, a housekeeper, came into contact with a Barbadian returning from the UK on September 19 and tested positive five days later.
Moments ago Minister of Education Santia Bradshaw said that after meeting with the Ministry of Health and being updated on the contact tracing and measures to ensure the safety of those at the school, the institution would be closed while it undergoes an industrial cleaning.
The reopening will be on October 19.
Bradshaw urged everyone to cooperate during this exercise. She said students should remain at home and parents to contact the Ministry of Health’s hotline (5364500) is anyone develops symptoms of COVID-19. No one will be refused a test, even if they did not come into contact with the young woman.
Chief Medical Officer Dr Kenneth George said he believed the school environment is safe but “a lot of issues occur” after schools hours including the non-wearing of masks and lack of social distancing.
However, he was unable to state whether the four-month-old with the illness, who is related to the 15-year-old student, attended a nursery. The baby is in isolation at Harrison Point, St Lucy, along with the other members of the family.
President of the Barbados Secondary Teachers’ Union Mary Redman appealed to parents and principals to underscore to the children the importance of wearing their masks and following the protocols. (AC/SAT)
