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Health department starts sampling in Jhajjar, Rewari, Jind schools
Haryana’s nodal officer for Covid-19, Dr Dhruva Chaudhary, says the infection rate among students can be decreased up to 80% if they start wearing masks and practice social distancing.
In order to tackle the rise in Covid-19 cases in government schools, the health department on Thursday started conducting sampling in Jhajjar, Rewari and Jind schools where over 150 children tested positive for the virus.
Dr Sanjay Dahiya, chief medical officer, Jhajjar, said, “We have collected samples of 423 students from five schools in the district, report of which is expected to be out tomorrow. We are planning to cover all schools in the district in next two weeks.”
The department has also collected samples of students from Sonepat, Fatehabad and Bhiwani districts.
A senior official of the Haryana education department said nearly 1.58 lakh students out of 6 lakh are attending the schools across the state everyday.
“A total of 174 students and 107 teachers have tested positive for the virus across the state. This means that the number of students who have tested positive is not even 0.5% of the total students attending the classes. The health department has collected random samples from over 7,000 students across the state. It is too early to reconsider shutting down the schools,” the official added.
He further said the total students attending the schools has increased from the last week’s 1.29 lakh to 1.59 lakh this week.
“We have no option other than conducting classes as less than 100 days are left for the board exams. We cannot pass a student without conducting practical and pre-board exams, besides organising exams of at least four subjects,” he added.
Haryana’s nodal officer for Covid-19, Dr Dhruva Chaudhary, said the infection rate among students can be decreased up to 80% if they start wearing masks and practice social distancing.
“Teachers must ensure that windows of classrooms are kept opened. Most of the students are not wearing face masks and their teachers are also taking it lightly. The parents should inform the health department if their ward experiences any symptom of the disease and bar them from sending to school. It is not advisable to shut down the schools as the students have suffered a lot. If schools will follow the safety guidelines, students will be able to continue with their studies,” he added.
Rakesh Sheoran ,a parent from Dadri’s Badhra, said he has been sending his both kids to the school by taking all precaution measures.
“My children were struggling with the online mode of learning and they started improving after the government ordered reopening of schools from November 2. We can’t allow our kids to sit at home and waste their one crucial academic year. The parents must ensure their ward reaches school while following all safety guidelines,” he added.
