A Government team headed by Education Minister Anthony Garcia will examine the issue of whether the Secondary Entance Assessment examination can go on as planned or will have to be rescheduled as part of the response to the containment plan for COVID-19 and report soon.
Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley said since the exam was part of schools’ operation and schools are now closed until April 20, perhaps an alternative arrangment can be made.
But he didn’t want to answer on that issue during a press conference to deal with the COVID-19 response at the Diplomatic Centre, St Ann’s, on Monday.
Rowley appealed to schools still operating to join the national effort and close operations.
“It’s not about your school, or the ability to be better, or how prominent your school is - it’s about not gathering. The virus doesn’t respect you. We don’t want gatherings so we can prevent the virus leaping from one person to another.”
He warned that if the overall situation wasn’t heeded, people didn’t co-operate and “skylarked” “... We could find ourselves where a level of national infection overwhelms the health system—a worst case scenario.”
Rowley said the nature of the crisis is temporary and the virus will eventually make its way out of the human population. He said according to experts, most people who may get it will survive. But for others, espcially the elderly or those with underlying health issues, he said it would be a question of life and death.
He urged citizens to prioritise by ensuring elderly relatives were fully protected from the virus.
He said T&T has some strengths to use in the crisis and many weaknesses and the battle must be fought from the strengths. (GA)
