Six suspected cases of hand, foot-and-mouth diseases forced the closure of a privately run nursery school in Princes Town yesterday. The closure was ordered by the County Victoria Medical Office of Health, the T&T Guardian was told. Yesterday a sign was posted at the school saying it will remain closed today and tomorrow for sanitising work to be undertaken.
A parent of one of the children who contracted the contagious disease said, "This is serious. This is a health risk. They have to sanitise that entire building." He said six cases had been confirmed. The nursery school has a student population of close to 100. Another parent said his wife took his son to the Princes Town?District Health?Facility after red watery swellings, resembling mosquito bites, began appearing on his son's hands and feet and inside his mouth.
The father said a nurse told his wife the child would have to wait his turn to see the doctor. He said his wife then took the child to a private doctor who confirmed the youngster had contracted the disease. The parents told the principal and the Education Ministry.
However, both the South?West Regional Health Authority (SWRHA) CEO Anil Gosine and Education Ministry's media relations co-ordinator Yolanda Morales-Carvalho said they were not aware of any hand, foot-and-mouth cases at the school. Gosine said he spoke with the person in charge of the health facility in Princes Town who said there were no reported cases of the disease at the facility.
Reminded that last month there were two confirmed cases at the Rousillac Presbyterian Primary?School, Gosine said, "It is alleged. I don't have anything concrete on that." Morales-Carvalho said the nursery school was not registered with the ministry.?Told the parents said they had contacted the ministry, Morales-Carvalho said, "I have not heard anything at all."
An official at the Victoria County Medical Office of Health said county medical officer Dr Julie Karuth was not in office and referred all questions to the SWRHA.