Face-to-face classes have been suspended at a school in Jamaica becuase of four suspected cases of hand, foot and mouth disease.
The disease was suspected among students of the Chandler’s Pen Infant and Primary School in Clarendon, the Ministry of Education and Youth said in a press statement on Monday.
“Students from grades one to six in the primary division would have been in direct contact with the students from the infant department during a Children’s Treat held on Friday, May 27. They will therefore not return to the school for the rest of this week, while deep cleaning to properly sanitise the building takes place starting Tuesday, May 31,” the statement said.
All classes will be facilitated online and all arrangements are also being made for the National Grade Three Diagnostic Examination to be administered as planned.
The exams are set to begin June 1.
According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), hand, foot and mouth disease is common in infants and children younger than 5 years old. Most children have mild symptoms for 7 to 10 days.
Symptoms usually include fever, mouth sores, and skin rash commonly found on the hands, mouth, and/or feet.
It is caused by a virus.
