Schools to reopen from Jan 9 in Saint Lucia, informs Health Ministry

Saint Lucia: In preparation for the reopening of school scheduled for Monday, January 09, 2023, the Ministry of Health, Wellness and Elderly Affairs take this opportunity to remind parents, principals, teachers, caregivers, auxiliary staff and students of school-specific guidelines in the prevention and control of infectious diseases. These include respiratory illnesses and gastroenteritis.

The Ministry of Health usually notes an increase in cases of infections after the festive season.

• If your child develops symptoms including coughing, runny nose, sore throat, fever, vomiting and diarrhoea, seek medical care and do not send the child to school until they have resolved.
• Wash often hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.
• To reduce the spread of infections, be sure to wash hands after using the bathroom, before and after caring for the sick and after playing or caring for animals.
• Ensure that children are provided with clean face masks for school.
• Ensure regular cleaning of surfaces and sanitization of all schools and environments.

As the second term commences, the Ministry of Health, Wellness and Elderly Affairs would like to wish you a safe and successful school term.

The Ministry of Education has also been working hard to ensure the safety of all students, teachers and staff upon returning to the classrooms. The reopening of schools in Saint Lucia will bring a sigh of relief to both students and parents. Many students were waiting to get back to their classes and normal routine. Parents, too, will be relieved to get back to their day-to-day routine and to have their children back in a safe learning environment.

The Ministry has implemented several safety protocols to ensure the safety of everyone in the school environment. It has informed that it has put in place additional sanitization measures, including frequent cleaning and disinfecting of surfaces and increased hand-washing and hand-sanitizing stations.

The government has also implemented a staggered reopening of schools to ensure that all students and staff are as safe as possible. The first phase of the reopening will include primary and secondary schools, followed by universities and technical and vocational schools.