The Chief Medical Officer “has directed that all students, teachers, and staff of CedarBridge Academy school be quarantined for 14 days,” the Government confirmed this evening.
This quarantine directive follows after the Ministry of Health said, on December 6th, that they “confirmed a positive case of the Covid-19 virus at CedarBridge Academy” and said “all students, teachers, and staff of CedarBridge Academy are to be excluded from the school from Monday, 7th December, 2020 until further notice.”
The island is experiencing an increase in cases; with the Government confirming 24 new cases today, and also stating they will “suspend in-class learning and transition to remote learning in all of Bermuda’s Public Schools – pre-school, primary, middle and senior schools.”
An Education Ministry spokesperson said, “Earlier tonight, we received a letter from the Chief Medical Officer who has directed that all students, teachers and staff of CedarBridge Academy School be quarantined for 14 days. This means that they must stay home from all activities, for 14 days from 4th December 2020 until and including 18th December 2020 in response to potential exposure to COVID-19.
“The CMO stated ‘This includes not attending birthday parties, extra-curricular activities, social engagements, other places of employment, public places, public transport, grocery stores, etc. Non-essential visitors must not enter the home. For children, the child’s main caregiver[s] and close contacts within the home [including brothers and sisters] must also remain at home.
“Other household members who are able to separate (separate bedroom and bathroom, no common spaces) from the child within the home are not required to remain at home unless your child is experiencing COVID‐19 symptoms or has a positive COVID‐19 test. All public health guidelines must be followed by these other household members inside and outside of the home.
“This includes mask wearing, hand hygiene and physical distancing. COVID-19 Student Testing – students must be tested for COVID-19. Staff and teachers have been tested as of 8th December 2020. Please speak with your doctors about getting tested.”
The Minister of Education Diallo Rabain said, “While I understand the concern regarding the length of time it has taken to get this directive from Health, we understand the tremendous job they are doing to trace these COVID-19 cases. We are grateful to the Ministry of Health for the testing that has already taken place.
“Additionally, the Ministry of Health is organising special testing clinics, the first of which will be on the 9th December 2020 between 12 p.m. and 5 p.m. at Perot Post office. Due to the number of CedarBridge Academy students requiring testing, multiple testing days will be arranged.
“The principal of CedarBridge Academy will contact the parent or guardian of a student to arrange their appointments. Students must attend with a responsible adult who can consent to testing on behalf of the child. The responsible adult must bring a valid, government-issued picture ID for themselves and if possible for the child that they are consenting for. I encourage full participation and compliance from everyone. I want the CedarBridge family to stay safe and well.”
A spokesperson added, “Once these test results are completed, the Ministry of Health will assess all test results. Negative test results by a particular child or family will not automatically mean release from quarantine.
“The Ministry of Health will inform the affected families about updates to the recommended public health measures. If you have further questions concerning COVID‐19, consult your healthcare provider or contact schoolsurv@gov.bm and all COVID 19 guidelines are available at https://www.gov.bm/coronavirus.”
