This is according to Acting Chief Medical Officer Dr Ronald E. Georges.

Noting that the territory is in the midst of the Omicron outbreak, “once things do settle down, I know the Ministry of Education does have plans to reopen schools as quickly as they can and also do have plans to review various strategies we can use to implement testing regimens in schools so that we can safely reopen schools safely in a face-to-face manner,” Dr Georges commented during a stakeholders meeting held virtually on January 13, 2022.

Acting Chief Medical Officer Dr Ronald E. Georges said the most non-invasive testing will be chosen. P

‘Non-invasive testing’

Dr Georges added that the most non-invasive testing will be chosen.

“And in most programmes, the children actually do it themselves and pass it [the sample] to the person who can then conduct the rapid test.”

The Acting CMO noted that countries around the world are dealing with the challenges of online schooling in different ways due to COVID-19 and the testing of students and teachers is being done to get students and teachers back in physical schools.

“So, for example, for different schools in the UK and the US you may see testing regimens with weekly rapid testing, you may see twice-weekly rapid testing, trice weekly rapid testing. They all have cost implications and there are different strategies.”

He said that one strategy is where they may test entire populations repeatedly or they may do more opportunistic testing.

“But essentially putting a testing regimen in place in schools is quite important in reducing the risks of infections in schools and allowing schools to open safely,” Dr Georges said.

Public schools are currently being done online in the Virgin Islands. Some private schools have been taking a blended approach where only some classes are conducted face to face.