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Schools in St Thomas, St Mary and Portland to close Monday

Loop News

September 26, 2022 10:06 AM ET

2 mins read

The Ministry of Education and Youth has advised that students in the eastern parishes of St Thomas, Portland and St Mary, which make up Region 2, should remain at home on Monday, September 26.

The advice follows heavy rains associated with Tropical Storm Ian that impacted sections of the island between Saturday and Sunday.

In a statement Sunday evening, the ministry said the report from Region 2 indicates that, based on the adverse weather conditions which disrupted electricity, worsened road conditions and caused flooding in some areas, students should remain at home and work remotely as previously advised in Bulletin-133/2022, entitled “Severe Weather Alert”.

The Met Service had also declared a flash flood warning for the parishes in Region 2 on Sunday.

The ministry said that while reports from Region 5 (St Elizabeth and Manchester) do not indicate significant cause for concern, school boards and principals are advised to make use of both remote learning and only use face-to-face where conditions allow.

Meanwhile, the ministry said that based on the situational update from the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management and the Meteorological Office, schools can open for face-to-face classes where conditions are safe.

“Based on reports from our seven regions as to the impact of the weather conditions in their locality, boards and principals are being advised to exercise caution in determining the operations of schools for Monday, September 26,” the statement said.

It urged school administrators to use their communication channels to communicate with all parents, students and staff to advise of the operations of schools based on their local situation.

“All staff and parents should exercise their best judgement, paying special attention to self-care and safety in all circumstances,” the ministry said.