BHS pupils expected to be back to school next Monday
Bermuda High School pupils will return to the classroom next week if the Government moves to Phase 2 of the gradual return to normal life on Sunday as planned.
The news of the Monday return came in a letter from Linda Parker, the head of school, to parents and guardians of children at the school.
BHS also asked pupils to take part in a voluntary saliva coronavirus screening programme in partnership with Carika Weldon, the Government’s chief scientific adviser.
Students with a positive saliva test will be asked to take a nasal PCR test.
If it is positive, the school will decide if isolation of pupil groups is needed.
Ms Parker said all the private schools had opted into the programme.
She wrote: “By conducting regular screenings at school, it will help us to mitigate some of the unpredictability of the virus and routine screenings will help us identify anyone who may have contracted the Covid-19 virus and may be asymptomatic.
“This screening will also ultimately benefit the island as a whole, because it will avoid a large-scale outbreak in our school system, leading to further lockdowns or quarantine situations.”
Ms Parker said that the goal of the programme was to test 25 per cent of the school population each week and that each child will receive one test a month.
An e-mail will be sent to parents or guardians inside 24 hours if the test is negative.
The families of anyone who tests positive will be contacted with advice by their doctors or the health ministry.
Ms Parker said: “We have decided that if a student or staff member receives a positive screening result from their saliva test, we request that they remain home until their nasopharyngeal result is returned.
“We will only act to isolate year groups or pods if a positive nasopharyngeal result is received and upon guidance from the Ministry of Health.”
Parents and guardians were asked to sign a consent form by yesterday or to drop off a signed copy on the first day back at school.
The Government announced late last night it planned to re-open schools next week if public health targets allow.
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