The Ministry and Department of Education are advising the public that all Bermuda Public Schools will reopen tomorrow, Monday, 23 September, 2019.

The Commissioner of Education, Kalmar Richards said: “We hope that students, parents and staff are doing well after the passing of Hurricane Humberto. I want to thank all of the school staff, Department of Education staff, the Department of Parks, and staff from other government departments who have worked together diligently to ensure that schools are ready to receive staff and students tomorrow.”

As schools prepare to open, both safety and health are a priority.

As a safety precaution, the Department is asking for the co-operation of parents with providing their children with at least two 15 oz bottles of water. The Department is also asking staff to also bring enough drinking water on a daily basis. This should remain until confirmation is received that the water filtration system in each school has been checked.

It is during these times, in the aftermath of a hurricane, that it is important to remind parents, students and staff about gastroenteritis and the importance of washing your hands properly.

Gastroenteritis is easily spread by contact and therefore frequent hand washing is encouraged before and after washroom use; after coughing or sneezing; before and after cooking; after cleaning; and after playing with pets. When washing hands, use warm water and soap or an antibacterial hand sanitiser.

Parents and staff are encouraged to continue to tune into the media for updates.

Please note that the Emergency Measures Organisation (EMO) will meet again tomorrow morning at 10am — at which time the Ministry and Department will assess Tropical Storm Jerry, and make all necessary decisions about what will happen on Tuesday, 24 September. The public can expect an update on all decisions tomorrow at a 12:30pm press conference, and at 1:30pm on the Emergency Broadcast Station, 100.1FM.

Please encourage all persons who do not have access to online media sites — specifically seniors — to listen 100.1FM at 1:30pm tomorrow so that they can stay abreast of all storm updates.

Please also see other ways to stay informed below:

— Download the Bermuda Government Tree Frog app, available for free from the App Store and Google Play store.

— Visit www.gov.bm.

— Visit the Government of Bermuda Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts.

The Ministry and Department look forward to welcoming staff and students to their respective schools tomorrow.

*Press release issued by the Government of Bermuda.