Trinidad and Tobago: In a post Cabinet media briefing on May 20, 2021, the Education Minister of T&T – Dr Nyan Gadsby Dolly, announced that the SEA exam would be conducted on July 1 amid the COVID-19 pandemic in the country.
SEA exam results would be out in the second week of September, and the placement of students into Secondary Schools would be by the third week of September. The government showed its support for the deferral of commencement of CXC examinations of no longer than three weeks.
On this, the Education Minister asserted, “178 SEA candidates from 88 Primary Schools have asked to defer their exams, while 402 CXC candidates have asked for deferrals to 2022.”
“The discussions are ongoing to identify the most important categories of school personnel for COVID-19 vaccination. Those categories would be then submitted to the Ministry of Health by next week.”
Further, Dr Amery Browne, the Minister of Foreign and CARICOM Affairs, highlighted the donation of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines of 16,000 OXford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines to Trinidad and Tobago. With this, the ministry of health ensured to utilise these COVID-19 vaccines well before their expiry, that is – at the end of June month.
Dr Browne also confirmed that Bermuda country would also be donating 8,000 Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines to the island. She added that details on the shipment of vaccines are being finalised, and the donation by Bermuda is likely to come any time next week.
The Minister further stated, “There has been vaccine hesitancy in some smaller Caribbean nations. The Ministry Of Health officials do not anticipate any wastage here at home.”
The officials are expecting that T&T would receive COVID-19 vaccines from the government of the United States after President Joe Biden announced earlier this week that 20 million more vaccines would be sent to various countries.
On expecting donations from the US government, Dr Amery asserted, “The feedback from the US has been positive for the CARICOM as a whole and Trinidad and Tobago in particular.”
