Minister of Health Terrence Deyalsingh yesterday confirmed that 21 people within the secondary school system tested positive for COVID-19 last week. This makes it at least 99 cases to emerge from within the secondary school system since students returned to physical classes on October 4.
Figures provided to Minister Deyalsingh by the Ministry of Education indicate that for the period November 15 to 19, there were also 84 people in quarantine. They were 43 staff members and 41 students. For the week prior, November 7 to 13, Deyalsingh said there were 23 positive cases recorded.
Despite these cases, he said the Ministry of Education’s report notes: “No student out to physical school, to the knowledge of the Ministry of Education, has been hospitalised.”
Two weeks ago, it was revealed that 55 cases were recorded between October 4 and November 5. This means there are at least 99 cases coming out of the nation’s schools. The number of cases could be higher by the end of this week.
The district with the highest number of positive cases recorded last week was Caroni with eight. Between October 4 and November 5, there were just three cases in the district. Closely behind was Victoria with six cases.
Port-of-Spain, St Patrick and St George East each recorded two cases.
The South Eastern district recorded only one case, while the North-Eastern district did not record any cases.
There have been 14 schools with suspected or positive cases to date, including Shiva Boys’ Hindu College, Princes Town East Secondary, Iere High School, Mason Hall Secondary School, Tobago, St Augustine Girls’ High School, Bishop Anstey High School East & Trinity College East (BATCE), Signal Hill Secondary School, Fyzabad Anglican Secondary School and St Anthony’s College.
Cases by Education District, November 15-19
Port-of-Spain, 2
North Eastern, 0
Caroni, 8
St Patrick, 2
Victoria, 6
South Eastern, 1
St George East, 2