ST ELIZABETH, Jamaica – The Black River High School in St Elizabeth has been plunged into mourning following the death of business teacher, Amory Tomlinson.

School principal Christopher Romans told OBSERVER ONLINE that Tomlinson, who was an educator at the institution for over a decade, had been ailing for some time and had to be hospitalised at one point.

Describing Tomlinson as a jovial educator, Romans said the staff at the institution will now have to find ways to cope with the tremendous loss of their colleague.

“She did an operation just at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Before she went in (hospital) we had dialogue, because this was a recurring situation,” he explained. “We are going to see how we can deal with the loss together as a school family. She was a very jovial person.”

Tomlinson is believed to be the eighth educator to die in as many days. Earlier on Wednesday, Vice Principal at Charlemont High in St Catherine, Jennifer Gidden, died on her way to hospital.

Gregory Williams, mathematics lecturer at the Portmore Community College in St Catherine; Antoinette Banton-Ellis, principal of Vere Technical High School in Clarendon; Ann Marie Johnson Lindo, vice principal of Duncans All-Age School in Trelawny; Carlos Gordon, a grade six teacher of One Way Prep School in Kingston; and Donnalee Wright of Tarrant High School in St Andrew are also among the educators who have died since the start of the month.