‘The most non-invasive testing will be chosen’ for schools- Dr Georges
This is according to Acting Chief Medical Officer Dr Ronald E. Georges.
Noting that the territory is in the midst of the Omicron outbreak, “once things do settle down, I know the Ministry of Education does have plans to reopen schools as quickly as they can and also do have plans to review various strategies we can use to implement testing regimens in schools so that we can safely reopen schools safely in a face-to-face manner,” Dr Georges commented during a stakeholders meeting held virtually on January 13, 2022.
‘Non-invasive testing’
Dr Georges added that the most non-invasive testing will be chosen.
“And in most programmes, the children actually do it themselves and pass it [the sample] to the person who can then conduct the rapid test.”
The Acting CMO noted that countries around the world are dealing with the challenges of online schooling in different ways due to COVID-19 and the testing of students and teachers is being done to get students and teachers back in physical schools.
“So, for example, for different schools in the UK and the US you may see testing regimens with weekly rapid testing, you may see twice-weekly rapid testing, trice weekly rapid testing. They all have cost implications and there are different strategies.”
He said that one strategy is where they may test entire populations repeatedly or they may do more opportunistic testing.
“But essentially putting a testing regimen in place in schools is quite important in reducing the risks of infections in schools and allowing schools to open safely,” Dr Georges said.
Public schools are currently being done online in the Virgin Islands. Some private schools have been taking a blended approach where only some classes are conducted face to face.
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28 Responses to “‘The most non-invasive testing will be chosen’ for schools- Dr Georges”
Leave the kids alone! Hundreds lf taxi drivers in close contact with cruisers and other tourists which are much higher risk are NOT subjected to this bull$***
Based on a person's profession and demands from work due to being understaffed he or she may be asked to return to work immediately, nevermind he or she just returned from a high risk country. This is what is upsetting and happening now. I know of such cases. Another question is whether the employer is aware he or she was away. Once vaccinated, if you prove you are negative you are given the green light to come in to the country and go your merry way. What about monitoring such persons to ensure they minimize contact until a specified period has passed? Most of these cases arose from people entering the country first.
Omnicron did not come here on its own via mutation alone I am sure.
There are certain professions that require unlimited human contact. Random voluntary testing should happen here first and those re-entering the country and the persons they are in frequent contact with.
There must be a better ways better than this one.
Stop acting like a political Doctor Rather than the medical Doctor that you are, Sir.
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