Tufton reveals decision on return to face-to-face classes

“So, my own view, and I’m venturing out here on a limb, but what  has been articulated is that whatever happens, we need to move towards getting our children back into the classroom,” he said.

Dr. Tufton was addressing a COVID Conversations virtual press briefing on Tuesday (December 22), where he disclosed that a traveller from Jamaica tested positive for the Omicron variant of the coronavirus (COVID-19), after returning to the United Kingdom (UK).

He noted that the Ministry of Health and Wellness is working with the Ministry of Education, Youth, and Information to ensure schools have the necessary health and safety measures in place.

“We’ll have to include protocols around sanitising, physical distancing, and so on, to the best that we can,” he said.

Dr. Tufton pointed out that “assessing symptoms, testing, and treatment and extracting [students] who display any sign of contamination, will require an efficient response.”

“That is going to be a collective effort involving parents, guardians, school administrators, teachers, and students, a lot of public education and a lot of leadership at all levels,” he said.