chikungunya and mosquitoes courtesy of outlookindia-com

The education system has been hit by 30 per cent absenteeism of staff and students in schools across the six regions because of suspected cases of chikungunya (chik-V), the Ministry of Education has reported.

The ministry has released the results of a survey, which revealed that as at yesterday, 3,911 students and 591 teachers had missed days from schools.

The most affected area was Region One – Kingston and St Andrew – with 2,487 suspected cases. This is followed by 945 suspected cases in Region Two, which includes St Thomas, Portland and St Mary.

The least-affected parishes, with 23 suspected cases, were Manchester and St Elizabeth, located in Region Five.

Education Minister Ronald Thwaites, according to a release from the ministry, commended the management and staff of the affected schools for their efforts in keeping the institutions open as well as for providing as much health care as possible to students.

He has appealed to parents to be on the alert for symptoms of chik-V and other illnesses and to get medical attention for their children immediately.

Reblogged via Schools coping with chikungunya outbreak – Lead Stories – Jamaica Gleaner – Wednesday | October 8, 2014.