The dreaded Covid-19 appears to have taken a turn for the worse for students in Telangana with yet another outbreak of 27 cases reported from a third government-run residential school in the state.
In the second such incident within a week, 27 students from the Jyotiba Phule Residential School in Patancheru mandal’s Indresham village were found to be Covid positive.
Two students, from the 1,000 strong student community in the residential school tested positive, and another 25, according to health department officials.
The first case of Covid-19 among the students was reported on November 24 after parents of a girl who complained of fever, took her home and got her tested only to discover that she caught Covid.
Another 725 students of the school remain to be tested as on Thursday.
It may be recalled that earlier in November, 28 students from a government residential school in Wyra in Khammam district tested positive on November 21. This was followed by another 47 testing positive in another school in Muthangi in Sangareddy district on November 29.
Meanwhile, alleging that many schools and colleges in the city were not following the Covid norms diligently, the parents urged the Education department to see to it that all schools follow the guidelines strictly. They alleged that withno sanitisation done regularly and no temperature checks at the entrance, the school managements were playing with the lives of their children.
“While reopening, the school management promised of following Covid norms. But, now they have gone back on their promise. With new potential strain of coronavirus discovered, the schools should follow the norms strictly,” said Shivanghi, a parent.
“The new variant is not just dangerous for students, but foradults too. Even those who got both the vaccine doses are susceptible to infection. Many budget and big schools are not following any Covid norms and forcing the children to attend physical classes to extract full fee violating GO 46,” said Mohammed Asif Hussain Sohail, president, Telangana Parents Association for Child Rights and Safety, adding that many schools have even failed to provide the details of the staff vaccinated.
He further added that their Association had already made a representation to the State Education department and also to the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights on the issue. “We urged the State Education department to direct the schools and colleges to conduct classes on alternate days for students to avoid cramming in classrooms,” he said.
Subsequently, the Education Minister Sabitha Indra Reddy informed that all precautions were taken to contain New Covid variant Omicron spread in schools, colleges and hostels. Authorities have been advised to set up vaccination camps in educational institutions and achieve cent per cent targets. She said 90 per cent of vaccinations were done for teaching and non-teaching staff working in educational institutions. #KhabarLive #hydnews
