COVID-19 Cases Reported at Several Georgetown Schools, Parents and Teachers Demand Transparency
Travis Chase | HGP Nightly News
Several schools across Georgetown have begun fumigation efforts following confirmed COVID-19 infections among students, raising serious concerns among educators and parents about the Ministry of Education’s delayed response.
At West Ruimveldt Primary School, three Grade 5 students tested positive for COVID-19. According to sources, the Department of Education had been informed of the situation but only moved to sanitize the school after media inquiries on Wednesday. Critics have accused the Ministry of a “laid-back” response despite the risk of further spread.
“This lack of transparency puts the health and safety of both students and their families at serious risk. Parents have a right to know,” a source told Nightly News.
At Winfer Gardens Primary School, at least two students from Grades 1 and 4, have also tested positive. Alarmingly, one Grade 1 student has been admitted to the COVID-19 Intensive Care Unit at the Infectious Diseases Hospital in Liliendaal.
An internal message sent to teachers at Winfer Gardens Primary read:
“Please inform parents that school will be dismissed at 2 p.m. today to facilitate fumigation and sanitization.”
Incoming President of the Guyana Teachers’ Union, Dr. Keitha MacDonald, condemned the Ministry of Education’s silence and inaction, stating:
“It is alarming that the departments of education have done absolutely nothing to safeguard the health and lives of teachers and students. Even more troubling is the Health Minister’s recent assurance on national television that this strain has not reached our shores.”
MacDonald urged teachers to take independent safety precautions in classrooms, emphasizing that schools with multiple confirmed cases should be temporarily closed and that random testing protocols should be established.
“Teachers must not wait on the Ministry of Education or the Ministry of Health. Close schools where outbreaks occur, conduct fumigation, and implement testing systems.”
East Ruimveldt Secondary School is among other institutions confirming infections, with administrators alleging that the Ministry is attempting to “keep the issue under wraps.”
With more schools confirming outbreaks, the situation raises broader questions about the government’s COVID-19 monitoring and school safety policies—especially given public reassurances that there was nothing to fear.
