The gates of all-boy institution Kingston College will be closed for the next few days, after a senior member of the high school’s academic staff was suspected to have contracted the novel coronavirus, school officials have said.

The individual has been isolated at home and is waiting on the result of a recent COVID-19 test done.

A social media message sent to members of the KC fraternity said that both of the school’s campuses at North Street and Upper Elletson Road in Kingston Central will be closed with immediate effect for 14 days, until September 25. The message said that “deep cleaning” of the school will occur during the period.

The message also noted that online classes would begin for Grade 11 students.

Kingston College accommodates approximately 2,000 students and is the largest male institution in the English-speaking Caribbean.

The Ministry of Education, Youth and Information has set October 5 as the official start date for the new school year, already delayed by the effects of the pandemic which has disrupted life globally and caused the death of over 900,000 people, 40 of them in Jamaica up to Thursday of last week.