Secondary schools will reopen when students are fully immunised – Dr. Anthony clarifies

Health Minister Dr. Frank Anthony has clarified that secondary schools can reopen for face-to-face learning when the students are fully immunised, that is when they have received both doses of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines.

At a recent press briefing at the National Centre for Educational Resource Development (NCERD) at Kingston, Georgetown, it was announced that secondary schools would be allowed to reopen for face-to-face classes based on the vaccination rollout.

Then, Minister of Education Priya Manickchand related that the Health Ministry was “uncomfortable” reopening secondary schools without rolling out the children’s vaccination campaign.

Currently, the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines are being administered at various secondary schools to children between the ages of 12 and 18, a majority of whom are in secondary schools.

“Our intention really is as we go to the different schools, we’re encouraging all the children from that school to come out so that we can immunise as many children as possible from that school,” Dr. Anthony explained during his daily COVID-19 update on Friday.

And, he stated, “Once they are fully immunised, they can start opening that school.”

The new academic year commences on September 6 and schools will reopen for face-to-face classes. Some nursery and primary schools will reopen for full face-to-face classes while others will operate on a rotational basis.

Each school has an individualised plan for reopening that is available on the Ministry of Education’s website.

Already, 6,020 children in schools across Guyana have received their first dose of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines. After they receive their second dose- some 21 days after taking the first dose- they will be considered fully immunised.

Meanwhile, the Health Minister also explained that those children who missed the vaccination activities held at their schools on specific days can go to other schools within their vicinity and get the vaccines.