After students tested positive for Covid-19, the Elmore Stoutt High School closed both its campuses last week and asked students to continue online schooling for the rest of the term, which ends tomorrow.
Deputy Premier Dr. Natalio“Sowande” Wheatley, the minister of education, said students will go back to in-person learning at the beginning of the new term next month.
The number of active Covid- 19 cases in the territory had risen to 40 by Friday, the day of the most recent update of the government’s Covid-19 dashboard.
Eleven cases were found during travel and entry screenings, and 29 were found locally and among contacts of local cases.
On Tortola, there were 35 active cases as of Friday. Anegada and Virgin Gorda each had two active cases, and Jost Van Dyke had one.
As of Friday, a total of 2,816 cases of Covid-19 had been reported in the territory since March 2020.
The number of vaccinated people didn’t increase during a week with a vaccine dose shortage, but a refrigerator used to store Pfizer vaccines now has arrived in the territory, Health and Social Development Minister Carvin Malone announced on the radio Monday.
The unit will be installed at the Dr. Orlando Smith Hospital, he said, adding that about 4,000 doses of the Pfizer vaccine are scheduled arrive Monday.
Children ages 12 to 17 — who aren’t allowed to take the AstraZeneca vaccine — will be able to take the shots.
The territory will also receive more doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine soon, according to the minister.
Government also has announced plans to roll out a booster shot programme once the vaccines arrive. The programme will likely be in full swing by the third week of December, according to Mr. Malone.
Another refrigerator will come later this month or in January, he said, adding that health officials hope to place a refrigerator on Virgin Gorda.