'Will issue guidelines,' says Sisodia after report of Covid case in Delhi school

Speaking to reporters, Sisodia, who is also Delhi's education minister urged people to stay alert. "We have to learn to live with Covid. We are constantly monitoring the situation," he said.

Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia said on Thursday that Covid-19 cases in the national capital had increased slightly but hastened to add there is no cause for worry as there had been no hospitalisations. Speaking to reporters, Sisodia, who is also Delhi's education minister urged people to stay alert. "We have to learn to live with Covid. We are constantly monitoring the situation," he said, according to news agency PTI.

Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia (PTI file photo)

Sisodia said the government would issue guidelines for schools in view of the surge in cases.

"I have got reports from a few schools in the past few days where parents have informed about their child testing positive. The education department will tomorrow issue guidelines to schools in this regard," he told reporters.

Sisodia's comments come after a report by news agency ANI that said a student and a teacher at a private school in south Delhi tested positive for Covid-19. The student's classmates were sent home and the student and the teacher are in stable condition, ANI reported.

Delhi schools are shut for the next four days for Baisakhi, Good Friday, and Easter Sunday.

Schools from nursery to class 12 reopened in February. However, they began to function fully offline only from April 1. Students were advised all to follow Covid-appropriate behaviour and schools were asked to make sure of sanitisation.

On Wednesday the national capital saw a nearly 50 per cent jump in its daily Covid-19 count after 299 cases were reported, pushing the cumulative caseload to over 18.66 lakh.

No Covid-related deaths were reported.

Officials said the spike was expected since all Covid-19 restrictions have been lifted.

Chief minister Arvind Kejriwal and health minister Satyendar Jain have both said the government is watching the Covid situation in the capital and there is no reason to panic.

"We are tracking the rising cases of Covid in Delhi. People are not getting admitted to the hospital and there is nothing to worry about right now. If need be, we will definitely bring guidelines for schools," Kejriwal said.

The number of daily cases in Delhi had touched a record high of 28,867 on January 13 during the third wave of the pandemic.

Meanwhile, Covid cases have also been reported from schools in neighbouring Uttar Pradesh - two in Ghaziabad and one in Noida.

(With ANI, PTI inputs)