Basseterre, St. Kitts, July 11, 2020 (SKNIS): On Wednesday July 08, 2020, 123 students attending the Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine (RUSVM) arrived at the Robert Llewellyn Bradshaw International Airport via charter at no cost to the government, says Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Hazel Laws.
Accommodation, COVID-19 Molecular Tests and laundry are covered by the RUSVM, said Dr. Laws, during the National Emergency Operations Centre (NEOC) COVID-19 press briefing held on July 10. She added that meals, groceries, and miscellaneous expenses will be coved by the students themselves.
The Ministry of Health and the COVID-19 Task Force collaborated with the Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine (RUSVM) to facilitate the return of the seventh-semester students.
The Task Force held a series of meetings with key personnel from the international university to ensure that all established protocols were followed in the process, said Dr. Laws.
“The students consented to serial testing, which includes a pre-arrival molecular COVID-19 test in Miami, a similar test was done on arrival in St. Kitts and another test will be conducted on day 14 of quarantine,” said the Chief Medical Officer.
The samples taken in St. Kitts were processed by Next Generation Laboratory. The students are quarantined at the five residential halls/ dormitory buildings located on the RUSVM campus.
The residential Halls on the RUSVM are guarded by members of the Royal St. Christopher and Nevis Police Force, the St. Kitts Defence Force and RUSVM security personnel.
All students who were sampled and tested on arrival tested negative for COVID-19. The students with the negative RT-PCR test results on day 14 will be discharged from quarantine and allowed to integrate into society.
The students will be monitored on campus for the onset of COVID-19 like symptoms.