School Principals concerned about Rainy Season & Dengue

Dana Malcolm

Staff Writer 

#TurksandCaicos, January 19, 2024 – As classes resumed earlier this month and reports of Dengue Fever cases increased, principals of primary schools around the country shared their concerns about the dengue threat to returning students, as the Turks and Caicos welcomed a new rainy season.

Those speaking to Magnetic Media said they had hoped to see school grounds fogged before reopening but explained that no word had come from authorities.

“Ideally, we would have wished for the areas surrounding the school to be sprayed prior to the commencement, but we have not seen any such activity as yet.  In any event, we will encourage parents to apply insect repellent each day to protect their children.  Additionally,  we will introduce protocols and set standards to safeguard our school family,” one educator told us.

The comments came just before the January 3 reopening of schools for the second semester.

“I am hopeful that we will get an update from the authorities prior to the reopening of school.” the educator had said.  Several bouts of heavy rain over recent weeks had increased the possibility of mosquito breeding but there has been no fogging advertised by the government since.

Officials of the Ministries of Education and Health were unresponsive when we reached out for any comment on advice or interventions, however, a new dengue update revealed that 172 confirmed cases of the viral illness had been recorded and 18 people had been hospitalized in the Turks and Caicos Islands.