NASSAU, BAHAMAS — A fire that destroyed Claridge Primary School’s library on Tuesday morning will not impact operations on campus and the resumption of education, according to Director of Education Marcellus Taylor.
“At this point, the cost to repair is unknown,” Taylor told Eyewitness News.
“Fortunately, as the fire was contained to the school’s library, it does not appear that it will disrupt the operations of the school in a significant way.”
The cause of the blaze that broke out around 12.40am remains undetermined.
There were no injuries reported.
According to Director of Fire Services Superintendent Kenrick Morris, the Fire Department responded within seven minutes of receiving reports of the fire.
Though the library sustained extensive damage, firefighters swiftly put out the blaze that threatened other buildings.
Arson has not been ruled out.
Schools across the nation are expected to open in fewer than two weeks, though the model to be used to continue education has not been announced.
Early on in the pandemic, schools facilitated virtual learning.
During the last semester, public schools used hybrid models to bring students back, with some returning to face-to-face learning while others used the government’s online learning platform on a rotational basis.
At the time, there were moderate daily cases of the coronavirus.
In recent months, however, The Bahamas has entered a surge, bringing about increased travel restrictions and a longer curfew.
During a national address on Monday night, Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis said: “…In the coming weeks, the minister of education will advise the country on the plan for the upcoming school year.”
Former Acting Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Dr Richard Besser said Tuesday that he expects schools in America to shut down this year due to cases spiking throughout the US, particularly the more contagious delta variant.
“I expect that it’s going to jump around different classrooms and schools will be forced to shut down more than they did in fact last year,” he said.
Delta has not been confirmed in The Bahamas, but it is believed to be spreading in communities.
