 The second term of the 2020-2021 academic year is set to resume following closure on October 16, 2020, due to COVID-19. Teachers and auxiliary staff of Schools Island-wide reported to their respective schools on Monday, January 4, 2021, in preparation for the return of students on January 11, 2021. Due to the community's spread of COVID-19, schools had remained closed with special allowances being made for the education sector to facilitate students of tertiary-level schools in medical and natural science programs that require laboratory and practical evaluations, students of secondary schools in Forms 4 and 5, who are preparing for regional and international academic evaluations, and primary school students in Grade 6, preparing for national and regional academic evaluations, particularly the common entrance exam. Cognizant that the health and safety of students and staff is paramount, the Department of Education, Innovation and Generations has been and continues to consult with stakeholders to ensure the mode of operation provides for the safest possible environment for all. The Department will further update the public on finalized plans for January 2021 in a subsequent communique. As primary and secondary schools prepare to reopen, the Sa'afa Lewis Community College says it will continue instruction on the virtual platform when it reopens on the 4th of January. College Communications Officer Natalie Jolie-Fanis explains, We have a population of close to 2,000 students. So the logistics of having students physically on the campus in a classroom space is not as easily manageable as in other schools where there is a set class room for a group of students. There are constant changes in movement with our classes, with our labs, etc. So we remain online. Our students, as you know, are more mature students. So we come back as of January 4th into our online mode. The Sa'afa Lewis Community College looks forward to prompt resumption of classes in January to catch up on course study in the previous semester. We had a later than normal start for the new semester. We started, I think, around the middle of September, whereas traditionally we would start either the last week in August, the first week in September. So our semester, that's another reason we really can't delay the break, our semester has been pushed into January. So when the students return, they will be completing semester one. Following exams to wrap up semester one, Jolie-Fanis says semester two will officially commence in February 2021 and run for its full 15 weeks, pushing later into May than usual.