30 children test Covid +ve in Varanasi since June 1

Of the 30, four children are in age bracket of 0-5 years while remaining 26 are in the age group of 6 to 18 years and all of them are on the path of recovery

The health department has conducted Covid-19 test of 24,500 children in Varanasi district in the last 17 days in which 30 kids have tested positive for the viral infection, said an official.

A health worker collecting swab samples of a child. (HT PHOTO)

“Of the 30, four children were in the age bracket of 0-5 years while the remaining 26 were in the age group of 6 to 18. All of them are under treatment and on path of recovery,” said additional chief medical officer and chief surveillance officer, Varanasi, Dr SS Kanaujia.

He said the health department had launched the testing drive of children on June 1 and since then, on an average, 1400 samples of children were collected daily.

“The health department teams were paying special focus in rural areas and testing both symptomatic and non-symptomatic children. The step is being taken as a measure to deal with possible third wave of Covid-19,” he said.

Dr Kanaujia said the teams were also motivating parents to go for vaccination and in case their child has symptoms of Covid-19 they must get the test done.

The department also plans to distribute 12285 Covid-19 medicine kits among the children having symptoms of the infection.