Make firm decision on face-to-face classes, health expert urges

Dr Kevin Harvey, head of the School of Public Health at the University of  Technology, is of the view that the government needs to accept that COVID-19 will be around for a long time and make a decision on the reopening of  schools.

Most Jamaican children have not been in a classroom since March 2020. The government has been aiming to resume face-to-face classes in September, but Prime Minister Andrew Holness has said that will be based on how quickly the current surge in COVID-19 cases are curbed.

Dr. Harvey believes however that a decision is needed now.

The decision might possibly be to have a blended approach, “so that we have those who need face-to-face having face-to-face (classes) and those who can manage online (classes) stay online.”

“I don’t think we can go forward not opening schools because I do not see us having the vaccination levels to prevent any further spikes this year, and perhaps not until the middle of next year,” he said.

Dr Haevey, who was speaking Tuesday on Radio Jamaica’s Beyond the Headlines, suggested that, instead of a string of  short-lived measures, the government should start putting in place long-term plans for living with COVID-19.