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ALL primary and secondary schools have again been ordered closed as the Government believes the country is at a breaking point in the management of the COVID-19 crisis.
The announcement was made by Prime Minister Andrew Holness yesterday at a virtual press conference at which he also detailed new restrictions on burials, worship services, weddings, and other gatherings.
"There should be no face-to-face instruction in all primary and secondary schools, both public schools and independent schools, until April 13, 2021. Students are to be instructed using other modalities... This is to include students who are to sit the exit examinations. So effectively, all schools are closed," Holness declared.
For her part, Education Minister Fayval Williams reminded the public that the requirements of the Primary Exit Profile (PEP) assessment have been reduced.
"We are only requiring you to do the ability test," she said. "We would have also informed our CAPE ([Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examinations] and CSEC [Caribbean Secondary Examination Certificate] students of the additional month that you have to sit the exam, and the flexibility regarding the deferral and the publication of the broad subject areas for Paper Two ahead of the examinations. We ask you, at this time, that you continue your preparation at home."
The education minister also announced that more parents will now be able to receive a $20,000 voucher from the Government to purchase electronic devices for their children to access online learning.
"Given that all our students now have to be back at home in the virtual world, we have taken a decision to raise the income threshold [of the Own Your Own Device programme] to $1.5 million," Williams said. "So now persons earning up to $1.5 million [per annum] can apply to receive the $20,000 voucher, up to our limit of 36,000 families."
The previous threshold for parents to apply was $500,000 per year, and so far just under 20,000 applications have been received, the minister added. She said preparations are under way for parents to receive cash towards meal preparation for their children on the Programme of Advancement Through Health and Education (PATH) while they learn from home.
The PEP ability test is now set for May 26, after being again postponed from the previously announced date of March 25. CSEC and CAPE exams, which are usually conducted between May and June, will be held between June and July, with students having up to May 1 to defer their exams to 2022 without penalty, and with the transfer of SBA grades.
The other measures announced yesterday, which will all continue until April 13, 2021, are:
• As of this Wednesday, burials will be allowed Mondays to Fridays only, during the hours of 9:00 am and 4:00 pm. Only 10 mourners will be allowed, with an additional five individuals present, comprising the officiating clergy, gravediggers and undertakers. Burials should last no longer than 30 minutes. No burials will be allowed on public holidays.
• Worship services will be permitted for places of worship between 5:00 am and 8:00 pm. A maximum of 12 people, including officiating clergy and IT personnel may be present to facilitate electronic broadcast from the place of worship. Applications are to be submitted to the divisional commanders of each parish through the police station closest to the place of worship with the list of the 12 individuals. The application form will be set out in the new order.
• As of April 6, the cap on the number of individuals permitted at a marriage ceremony will be reduced from 25 to 15.
• For markets and vending in public arcades and public transportation centres, operating hours will be one hour after the end of curfew to one hour before the start of curfew.
• Zoos, parks, gyms, attractions, and bars are subject to the existing restrictions and must close two hours before the curfew.
• Drivers of public passenger vehicles and conductors will continue to be allowed on the road one hour before and one hour after curfew, but without passengers in the additional hours.
• Amusement or gaming arcades not licensed under the Betting, Gaming and Lotteries Act, and indoor cinemas and establishments that stage theatrical or artistic performances should remain closed.
• The ban on events such as concerts, parties, tailgate parties, and round robins continues.
• The 10-person public gathering limit, work-from-home order for the public sector, stay-at-home order for people 60 years and older, ban on funeral services, and closure of public beaches and rivers will also remain in effect until April 13, 2021.
Read the complete list of restrictions here.