All students and employees across public schools within the United States Virgin Islands will be required to undergo COVID-19 testing to be allowed physically back into schools from January 24.
This is according to a media release published by the Virgin Islands Department of Education on Monday January 17.
It said that testing will commence for all students and staff from tomorrow Wednesday, regardless of the vaccination status of the student or employee.
“The Virgin Islands Department of Education (VIDE), with guidance from the Virgin Islands Department of Health, is requiring all students attending the Territory’s public schools and school-based employees to undergo COVID-19 testing in advance of the return to in-person learning on Jan. 24,” the department stated.
It added, “The Department of Health will begin testing groups of students and school-based staff on Jan. 19, with both the vaccinated and unvaccinated required to be tested. A testing schedule will be emailed to students and employees. Parents may download the COVID-19 testing consent form by visiting www.vide.vi and clicking on the “COVID-19 Forms” tab at the top of the page. COVID-19 testing is free of charge.”
Decision due to high positivity rate
According to the education department, the decision to implement this new measure stemmed from the high COVID-19 positivity rate of 16 percent that the USVI is experiencing, and the increasing number of educational workers who have tested positive.
Speaking on the initiative, Commissioner Racquel Berry-Benjamin said, “The Department of Education is committed to ensuring the health and safety of students and staff as we continue to respond to the coronavirus pandemic…We ask that you commit to doing your part to keep the VIDE safe.”