Two NGSA students among Guyana’s COVID-19 cases

Two National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA) students in Lethem Region Nine are among the new COVID-19 cases in Guyana.

A male and female – both 10-year-old – tested positive for COVID-19 on June 21 and 22. The News Room understands that they are Brazilian nationals but attend school in Guyana.

The students are among eight others who recently returned from Brazil to write the Caribbean Secondary Examination Certificate (CSEC) and NGSA exams.

Regional Health Officer (RHO) Dr Niaal Uthman told the News Room that the students were tested last week Friday after being in quarantine for 14 days.

“There are two positive cases in Lethem both of them are grade six students,” the RHO stated.

Lethem recorded its first case of COVID-19 on May 11. The patient had also travelled from Brazil. Brazil has become the second country in the world to confirm more than one million cases of COVID-19, as the disease continues to spread.

Approval was granted by the Regional Health Emergency Committee to allow the students entry to sit the exams.

Meanwhile, the students are still being taught while under quarantine. Teachers are sending worksheets via Whatsapp and those without internet access are working from the printed documents.

Exam students returned to schools on July 15 amid strict COVID-19 guidelines.

All students are required to wear face masks; schools were required to construct a designated waiting area for the students with social distancing markings and the students and teachers temperatures are to be checked upon entering.

The exam students are only required to attend school on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays for approximately four hours.

The NGSA is set for July 1 and 2 while the CSEC and CAPE exams are set to begin on July 13.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Our story initially stated that one of the students who tested positive was a CSEC pupil based on the information provided to us by Regional Chairman Bryan Allicock, however, the story has been amended to reflect accuracy. The News Room apologises for any inconvenience caused.