Health Ministry donates 5,000 self-test kits to Education Ministry
Jan. 6, 2022
KINGSTON, Jamaica. Thursday, January 6, 2022: The Ministry of Health & Wellness today donated 5,000 home self-test kits to the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information. The donation comes as Jamaica’s children head back to the face-face classroom this month.
“It is far more debilitating on our children to keep them away from school than it is to get them back in. So while there is a risk, we are trying to manage that risk and that is what we aim to do by distributing these test kits,” said Minister of Health and Wellness, Dr. the Hon. Christopher Tufton, speaking at the handover.
Minister of Education, Youth & Information, Hon. Fayval Williams, while thanking the Ministry of Health & Wellness noted that “The test kits are intended mainly for use in primary schools, where there are many younger children for whom vaccination against COVID-19 is not yet approved.”
Dr. Tufton pointed out that the Health & Wellness Ministry has the full support of our school nurses and we will provide a protocol to school administrators in the use of the test kits, with provisions in place for further assessments should that become necessary.
“These self-test kits represents one of the several protocols that will govern children going back to school and schools will continue to collaborate with the local health departments in the COVID-19 response, including additionally testing and infection prevention and control measures,” added Dr. Tufton.