Students, parents and teachers who have eagerly awaited the return to face-to-face class normalcy since schools islandwide were forced to shut their doors due to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, will, unfortunately, have to wait a while longer for schools to physically reopen their doors.

The news comes as the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information remains resolute that students will need to be vaccinated against COVID-19 in order to return to the physical classroom.

Having indicated in August, that individual schools will need to achieve a 65 per cent or higher vaccination rate to be considered for face-to-face class approval, the Education Ministry, during a post-Cabinet press briefing held today (September 22), articulated that this position remains unchanged despite the challenges facing the nation’s Pfizer vaccine supply.

The country was on September 15, forced to suspend the administration of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine due to insufficient supplies of the jab in country.

Speaking to the suspension, Health Minister Dr Christopher Tufton in a press briefing on Tuesday (September 14), explained that the ministry had not been made aware of how soon a second shipment of the Pfizer vaccines could be expected from the United States government.

The unplanned delay in the Pfizer vaccine administration has impacted many Jamaicans who were due their second dose of the jab, and in particular, students who aimed to get the jab as soon as possible, so they could return to the classroom.

According to Education Minister Fayval Williams, “some 78,195 students would have at least received their first dose of the vaccination and in terms of face to face, as I’ve always said we are living through a health crisis, a pandemic and so we have to work hand in hand with the Ministry of Health and Wellness, in terms of the decision with regards to face to face.

“We continue our efforts in terms of vaccination and as you are aware we await more Pfizer vaccines for our students. When those arrive we will continue our efforts…we have been vaccinating our students across our schools in Jamaica…All our school leaders on the ground are activated and so we know, the moment we are given the go-ahead again by the Ministry of Health and Wellness that we will be able to continue at a fast pace.”

READ MORE:

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• Brown-Burke queries vaccine mandate for face-to-face class resumption