Covid: 9,884 Ludhiana students tested over two days found negative

The schoolchildren were tested for Covid-19 after 20 students were found infected at GSSS, Basti Jodhewal and GHS, Kailash Nagar on Monday and Tuesday

In a major relief for the education department, nearly 9,900 samples collected from students over the past two days have tested negative for Covid-19.

A health department worker collecting samples from students at Government Primary School. Jagraon, on Friday. (HT Photo)

The health department had sampled 9,884 students from government schools across the district on Wednesday and Thursday after 20 students tested positive for the virus at Government Senior Secondary School (GSSS), Basti Jodhewal, and Government High School (GHS), Kailash Nagar.

“Samples were also taken from colonies near the schools, as the infected students live there and all 9,884 samples have turned out to be negative. The RT-PCR reports of 596 contacts of the infected students are also negative,” said district epidemiologist Dr Ramesh Bhagat.

Between Monday and Tuesday, 12 students were found infected at GHS, Kailash Nagar, and eight at GSSS, Basti Jodhewal, following which deputy commissioner Varinder Kumar Sharma had ordered suspension of in-person classes at the two schools till August 24.

The students were tested as part of the health department’s initiative to sample 10,000 students every day since the reopening of schools, considered a trigger for the second Covid wave earlier this year.

According to Rajesh Kumar, principal of GSSS, Basti Jodhewal, of the 500 students enrolled in the school, only 150 were attending offline classes: “The school is running in two shifts. Students of Classes 6 to 10 attend the morning shift and those of Classes 11 and 12 come in the afternoon shift. The positive students are all from Class 11.”

Over 5,000 18+ students to be vaccinated

District education officer, secondary, Lakhvir Singh said around 5,000 students over the age of 18 had been identified and efforts were on to vaccinate them over the next few weeks through special camps. “Nearly 95% of the government school teachers in Ludhiana have received at least one dose of vaccine,” said Singh.

Dr Davinder Singh China, nodal officer, media, education department, said, “Students are being sensitised about social distancing. They have been advised not to visit school if they have cough, fever or other Covid symptoms and inform the class teachers about it.”