KINGSTON, Jamaica — As more schools reopen for in-person classes, Prime Minister Andrew Holness is appealing to parents and guardians to closely monitor children for signs of the coronavirus (COVID-19) virus to reduce transmission in the school environment.

“If you see any indication that your child is not well, please keep them at home. This is the only way to keep the infection rate down in our schools,” he said.

Holness was speaking at the virtual launch of the ‘The Reform of Education in Jamaica 2021 Report’ on Thursday.

Parents are being advised to encourage children to wear a mask, sanitise and observe the social distancing.

A total of 954 of 983 primary and high schools have been approved as COVID-19-compliant by the Ministry of Health and Wellness.

A COVID-compliant school has wash stations or sinks where the children have easy access to wash their hands, distance markers to make the students aware of how far apart to stand or sit from each other, and an isolation room with its own bathroom facilities, so that in the event a child shows up with runny nose, coughing or with a fever, that child can be isolated until medical help arrives.

According to a release, the PM said he was pleased to see children back in the classroom and sought to reassure the public that while “the return to face-to-face schooling is not without risks”, his Government is “making every effort to make the school environment as safe as possible for our students and teachers.”