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BASSETERRE, St. Kitts, September 11, 2019 (Press Unit in the Office of the Prime Minister) – Four local cleaning services are working collaboratively to ensure the entire compound of the Cayon High School (CHS) is safe before teachers and students are allowed to return to the facility.

The four companies, namely: CleanRite Cleaning Services, Reality Pest Control, Like New Steam Cleaners and Pro Surface Cleaning Services are thoroughly cleaning the interior and exterior of the Cayon High School campus, with the work being extended out to the fences of the school’s property.

Speaking to the media, Mr. Curtis James of Pro Service Cleaning Services indicated that they were contracted by the Ministry of Education to undertake remedial work at the Cayon High School.

He noted that, “We have been going about it in a systematic manner, [taking it] step by step, room by room to eliminate all of the issues-one of the issues being mold-and the causes of the mold which in this case is moisture and dirt. So we have been working towards getting all of these contaminants out of the school. Hopefully, with the help of mold remediation, we can get this issue sorted.”

On Tuesday, September 10, Government ministers including Prime Minister Dr. the Honourable Timothy Harris; Minister of Public Infrastructure, the Honourable Ian Patches Liburd; Parliamentary Representative for Constituency Eight in which Cayon falls, the Honourable Eugene Hamilton, and Attorney General, the Honourable Vincent Byron toured the facility where they saw firsthand the meticulous work being carried out to ensure the Cayon High School is safe for all.

In giving an update on the work being done on the interior, Mr. James said that, “We have gone into each and every room and we have hand cleaned all of the rooms using an anti-mold chemical. That’s the first process for inside. Then the air is cleaned and following that we do what is called a fogging process where we seal and fog each room so that the chemicals go into every crevice that might have been missed by the previous cleaning process.” You can visit the website to find out more about what fogging is and its different applications.

When looking to clean the interior of a public place, like a school, it’s vital that top-quality cleaners or janitors are contacted to make sure the site is safe for people. However, there are a number of things that go into hiring a janitor, with one of the most important things being whether or not that janitorial company has appropriate insurance or not. Janitorial companies need their own insurance to make sure they are covered for any accidents or injuries. If any janitorial businesses don’t have insurance, they could look at the services from Garrity Insurance, for example.

As it pertains to work on the exterior, Mr. James stated that anti-mold chemicals are again being utilized, “then the walls and floors are washed with heated water up to 150 degrees.”

Mr. Quasim walker, General Manager at CleanRite, indicated that an important aspect of the entire process involves the purification of the air. He said, “Once we finish the cleanup, the final step for us is purifying the air which will kind of make it more inhabitable for occupants using it. You will find that people…with kind of weak immune systems or those who have asthma, they usually get affected by mold smells and so the purification of the air helps to make the environment feel lighter and more functional for the people that are inside of it.”

While work on the school continues apace, the reopening of the Cayon High School for the 2019/2020 Academic School Year is delayed.

Taking into consideration the May-June 2020 CXC Examinations, the Ministry of Education has made accommodation for fifth form students of the Cayon High School to attend their regular classes at the Cayon Primary School.