The Tribune

EDUCATION officials say health officials have not reported the existence of any cluster of cases in the public education system nor any connection between the positive cases identified, which are in different institutions.

Officials said five individuals — students and staff members — tested positive in New Providence over the past two weeks.

Yesterday, Education Minister Jeff Lloyd also cleared up misinformation spreading about positive cases in the school system, saying some claims previously circulating are incorrect — including that a student as young as five tested positive for the virus.

“Yesterday (Monday) it was reported to me that there was a case in Fresh Creek, Andros,” Mr Lloyd said. “Upon further investigation, (we) found that that was not the case. It was further announced by way of a voice note that a child, student in the public system, as young as five years of age, had contracted the virus. Again, upon further investigation, that was not the case.

“So as you would accept and understand, there is quite a bit of information that is circulating in the public environment and sometimes when you all ask if that is so, I can confirm to you that I have not received such information and even when we do find the information, we most times find that it is not true.”

Asked if this meant there was not a rise in cases in the school system, Mr Lloyd said: “We, by way of the Ministry of Health, had a report of five cases and those would be in New Providence across five schools... so this reflects that which is in society.

“We are obviously concerned, paying very close attention to the situation in our schools and this is why we are insistent on encouraging all of our students and visitors, administrators, teachers and support staff to do what they are told to do by the Ministry of Health and health officials, and that is observe social distance and so on.”

He said the Ministry of Health has not advised that public schools in New Providence return to virtual learning.

“They have said to us that they don’t see the need for that at this time,” Mr Lloyd said. “We can continue with the hybrid instructional model that we have been conducting over these past several months.”

National exams began on April 13 and Mr Lloyd does not foresee any interruptions but will be guided by future advice from the Ministry of Health.

In a statement released yesterday, the Ministry of Education said based on information received from the Surveillance Unit of the Ministry of Health, suspected cases of COVID-19 were reported in the following New Providence schools within the past week: HO Nash Junior High School; LW Young Junior High School; Sadie Curtis Primary School; Carlton Francis Primary School; CR Walker Senior High School; TG Glover Primary School and Garvin Tynes Primary School

“The Surveillance Unit also advised that five individuals (students and staff members) tested positive in New Providence over the past two weeks,” the statement said. “The Ministry of Health has not reported the existence of any cluster of cases in the public education system nor of any connection between the positive cases identified, which are in different institutions.

“As is the practice, following assessments of each situation, several students and staff members have been requested to enter a 14-day quarantine period, having been considered significant contacts of COVID-19 positive individuals. The Ministry of Education has not received any report from the Ministry of Health of a five-year-old student in the public education system having tested positive for the COVID-19 Virus.”

This counters a claim from Bahamas Union of Teachers President Belinda Wilson, who released a voice note this week claiming that most of the cases are students, some “as young as five years old”.