PORT MARIA, St Mary – Some students of St Mary High School had to seek medical attention because of the terror felt during the 5.6-magnitude earthquake that struck many parishes across the country on Monday.

“We had a number of students who suffered panic and anxiety attacks, and a few who had asthma attacks. They were sent to the clinic to seek medical attention while some parents were called in,” the school’s guidance counsellor Christine Wright told the Jamaica Observer.

She said her team immediately activated their emergency protocols, and after the students calmed down a decision was taken to continue with classes.

“Some students take private transportation so even if we dismiss school early, they would be on the school compound. Therefore, the best solution was to continue with classes,” Wright explained.

There were also anxious moments at St Mary Technical High School in Richmond.

“It was a frightening experience for students and staff. Our emergency protocols were activated and all students and staff members were accounted for,” Principal Orville Richards said in response to parents’ concerns.

As with St Mary High, classes were not disrupted.

At Water Valley Primary School in Islington, Principal Hyacinth Gayle-Ricketts quickly assured parents via WhatsApp that while some students had been reduced to tears during the quake, her staff had managed to calm them and everything returned to normal soon after. The only challenge, she said, was making outgoing phone calls.

While staff from the Annotto Bay tax office were evacuated and the office closed for the day, manager of the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Management’s St Mary office, Adrian Taite told the Observer there were no reports of injuries or damage across the parish.