York Castle suspends classes after student tests positive for COVID-19

Carl Gilchrist/Gleaner Writer

Face-to-face classes have been suspended at York Castle High School in Brown’s Town, St Ann, as a precautionary measure after a student who attended class on February 2 was confirmed positive with the COVID-19 virus on Friday.

Principal Raymon Treasure told The Gleaner Friday night that classes have been suspended indefinitely and all students will revert to online classes.

The child, who did not attend school since February 2, was asymptomatic, Treasure said.

The principal said he was informed of the status of the student by the Ministry of Health on Friday afternoon.

It is unclear when classes will resume at the institution.

“We have to deep-clean the place and then I would have to spend the time reassuring teachers and parents that all is well. It will take time,” he said.

Treasure added: “It’s not a community or a student spread, it’s a student who would have contracted (the virus) and basically turned up, and once I get a call saying that there is a student, I’m not going to be irresponsible and continue.

The principal said that administrators had prepared for this eventuality because of the spike in cases in St Ann as well as other parishes.

“It’s impossible that you’re going to have the virus spreading in St Ann and you don’t have even one student who would have contracted the virus," Treasure said.

Of a total student population of 1,396, only 650 from grades 10 to 13 were recently selected to resume face-to-face classes at York Castle.

However, the majority of the selected cohort have chosen to continue online learning exclusively. The total turnout on any given day is 310, The Gleaner understands.

The Jamaica Teachers' Association has called for the suspension of face-to-face classes in the wake of an upsurge of COVID-19 cases islandwide.

Education Minister Fayval Williams has, however, dismissed this call, insisting that the phased resumption of face-to-face classes will continue.

Jamaica has recorded 18,527 coronavirus cases and 368 deaths.