KINGSTON, Jamaica — Chief Education Officer Terry-Ann Thomas-Gayle says the country’s 1,010 schools have reopened following the passage of Hurricane Melissa.

Thomas-Gayle, who gave the update at a post-Cabinet press briefing on Wednesday, also noted that all 446 schools in the three affected regions have reopened.

These include schools in region three (St Ann and Trelawny), region four (Hanover, St James and Westmoreland) and region five (Manchester and St Elizabeth).

In region three, 109 schools have resumed face-to-face modality, while 14 are using a rotational schedule; 127 operate face-to-face in region four, with 37 using the rotational schedule; and 135 operate face-to-face in region five, with seven using the rotational schedule.

“Our reopening policy saw us really putting safety first. We worked closely with the Ministry of Health and Wellness to ensure the space for our students are safe and ready for operation,” she said.

She noted that infrastructure repairs, electricity repairs and supply and tank replacement are among the challenges the ministry is currently working on.