The news of the day is that a civil servant tested positive for COVID-19. However, notable is the fact that her husband is a teacher at Learning Unlimited and their two children also attend this school. How ironic! Time therefore for a recap of the events leading up to the dilemma between the private schools and the Ministry of Education where it pertains to the guidelines for reopening these schools. The Minister of Education has been very clear in this directive: schools are to open their doors for distance learning. It is then up to the school boards together with the school management, teaching staff and parents to find common ground, ideal solutions and practical implementation of this directive. Where needed, there is a comprehensive Education Continuity Plan (ECP) that schools can tap into for guidelines. Here is a our recap under the title 'Education must continue'. There are no rules anchored in a ministerial decree, but common sense must rule for education to continue for the sake and intellectual well-being of our students. Why must government issue a decree to control something that we as parents should be able to control ourselves?

Read our recap online here: https://stmaartennews.com/education/education-must-continue

Have a safe week and remember to practice social distancing.

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We recently interviewed a frontliner about what the consequences of COVID-19 infections among the staff entail for capacity issues in frontline organizations such as the medical center, the ambulance service and the fire department.

We have not published this interview yet because we did not want to be seen as engaging in fear-mongering. However, since then, reports have been coming in daily of positive infection cases relating to frontliners in the police department, the Pointe Blanche Prison, and in several of the government departments such as immigration and labor.

Frontliners being forced to self-quarantine means that under-staffing and under-capacity are serious issues to have to be dealt with. The government apparatus was already significantly impacted by regular cases of under-staffing due to illnesses, sick leave and ghost civil servants. Add corona-infections, self-isolation and self-quarantine to the mix, and we have a severe labor workforce shortage on our hands in the collective sector.

Luckily, there seems to be good news to report and not just fear-mongering alone. The New York Times wrote scientists are seeing mounting evidence of lasting immunity after a coronavirus infection. It has been shown for the first time that people who have already had the disease do not get COVID-19 a second time. That's excellent news for herd immunity and a vaccine.

So to the frontliners presently under attack, we say to you, follow the CPS guidelines for mandatory self-isolation and self-quarantine. Once you have overcome your symptoms, at least for the time being, you can put your mind at ease that you will have a certain amount of immunity until we get hard confirmation of the possible herd immunity effects of an infection. In the meantime, practice social distancing, wear a facemask and wash hands often.

(Source: SMMC)

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