The Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) Training School at Port Mourant has been forced to temporarily close its residential facility after a number of students tested positive for COVID-19.
The institution, which provides technical and vocational training to students from across Guyana, took the decision to disperse the student body on Friday as a precautionary measure to contain the spread of the virus.
According to reports received on Friday, those students who tested positive have been placed under quarantine. All other residential students were sent home with instructions to remain in contact with the institution to determine when it is safe to return. While the school has advised students to plan for a potential return this coming Wednesday, this remains contingent on a safety assessment and the resumption of normal operations.
Although an exact count of the positive cases has not been officially disclosed, sources familiar with the situation have described the number of infections as “significant.”
Efforts to obtain clarification regarding the scale of the outbreak and the extent of public health involvement have thus far been unsuccessful. Calls and messages sent to Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne) Regional Health Officer, Dr. Vineshri Khirodhar, remained unreturned as of press time.
The news comes shortly after Health Minister Dr. Frank Anthony addressed the national COVID-19 situation, noting that while the new NB.1.8.1 variant has not been detected in Guyana, health authorities are maintaining heightened surveillance. The Minister recently reminded the public that while COVID-19 may have receded from the forefront of public discourse, continued vigilance remains necessary.
