Three schools on the west coast of Dominica, the Isaiah Thomas Secondary School (ITSS), the Mahaut Primary School and the Massacre Primary School, have all suspended operations until November 9th, 2020, amidst the rise in Covid-19 cases in Dominica.
Speaking during a press briefing on October 30, 2020, Minister of Education and Human Resource Development, Octavia Alfred, revealed that a teacher of the ITSS has been admitted at the COVID isolation facility in Portsmouth after testing positive for the virus.
“Ministry of health officials were at the school today, October 30th, carrying out testing on staff members and students. The ministry of education is offering support to the entire staff and student body as we continue to follow directives from the ministry of health,” she stated.
Alfred said that the Dominica Association of Teachers (DTA) and Parent Teacher Association (PTA) executives have been apprised of the situation, adding “…as part of our precautionary measures, the school, located in the community of St. Joseph, will be closed until November 6, 2020.”
She said her ministry was hopeful that school will resume by November 9th, 2020.
According to Alfred, psychosocial support has started for students and members of staff. She encouraged everyone to continue to follow all protocols issued by the ministry of health “as we endeavor to keep ourselves and others safe.”
Meantime, members of staff of both the Massacre and Mahaut Primary schools told Dominica News Online (DNO) that their operations have been suspended as a majority of the students are from the Mahaut community which has recorded a number of COVID-19 cases in recent days.
That development was confirmed by Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit moments ago on his weekly Anou Palay Program.
When we tune into a covid briefing it is because we are hungry for information so we can make measured judgments about our future conduct. On Friday we were advised of 8 new cases, an index case, a teacher from St Jo and the others from Jimmit and Mahaut. Please tell us about the INDEX CASE. Is it male/female, old/young, an arrival or somone local etc. These are the facts we seek to know. Without them we have to rely on local gossip. Is it true, for example, …………………………………….. That is a story I heard today. If we are given the facts upfront it will remove the temptation to speculate.
But wait a minute mou. I thought Dr. Donald Peters told us that the pandemic was over and Dominica was judged as one of the best in the world? Here is a quote from Doctor Donald Peters on Thursday October 29, 2020:
“We were among the best in the world to fight the pandemic ”
We were among the best.! Dr. Peter Were is past tense you know. So you concluded that covid 19 is over, Dominica was among the best in the world to deal with covid 19 and Skerrit handle covid better than Trump and less than 24 hrs later covid is resurrected and how many people tested positive and as a result three schools are closed?
Man if Dominica were a real country you would be fired for misleading our children and Dominicans in general . But Skerrit was right when he said Dominica is not a real country.
In closing Dr Peters here is a verse to ponder on: “Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,” Romans 1:22
You must never believe a word these ministers, government officials and that PM say. 99.5% it’s pure propaganda and shameless lies. Now that virus will give them a run for their money and since our health system is in no way up to scratch either, sadly there will be many unnecessary deaths.
Most Mahaut students go to school in Roseau. All schools should be closed until next Monday.
I know. How do these people think nah.
All you voted for a clown and see what you got… an entire circus with no animals but lots of clown!!!
So where’s Donald Peters? Is Skerrit still handling covid19 better than Trump? I wonder if God heard Donald Peter and the very prideful Skerrit that could not condemn the foolishness of Donald. I mean these guys are so busy to sell Skerrit as the” BETTER THAN ” than person that the man would use a pandemic to say Skerrit handling it better than Trump. So God heard him and less than 24 hours later that same pandemic is doing havoc in Dominica! I warn all you because I am convinced covid is all over in Dominica and even killed people too. But they don’t test for covid and the dead don’t talk. So keep exalting Skerrit. Peter Augustine did the same thing at a funeral and I hope he has realize that Skerrit is not as wise as he thinks
So what about all the students from Mahaut and environs who attend the schools in Roseau?