Schools ask parents to report symptoms, issue advisories on coronavirus situation

While no other school announced that they would be closing, several have cancelled international trips scheduled this month, and issued advisories requesting parents to inform them if any member of their family showed symptoms such as cold, cough or fever.

A day after coronavirus was detected in a 45-year-old man in the Capital, The Shri Ram Schools on Tuesday announced that they will be closing their campuses in Delhi (from March 5) and Gurugram (from March 9) till the end of spring break.

CMO of Gautam Budh Nagar Anurag Bhargav seen outside The Shreeram Millennium School, Sector 135, in Noida. (Hindustan Times)

“The Vasant Vihar campus will remain closed from Thursday, 5th March, while Aravali and Maulsari campuses (in Gurgaon) will remain closed from Monday 9th March onwards and we reopen post the spring break. The holidays will be utilised towards sanitisation of the schools,” said Manika Sharma, Director of The Shri Ram Schools in a statement. The Vasant Vihar campus has also postponed the moving out ceremony of class 5 and outstation trips scheduled between March 5 and March 7. The management said they will announce exam results online.

While no other school announced that they would be closing, several have cancelled international trips scheduled this month, and issued advisories requesting parents to inform them if any member of their family showed symptoms such as cold, cough or fever.

Sardar Patel Vidyalaya in Lodhi Estate on Tuesday wrote to parents requesting them to avoid rumours about the coronavirus. “If your child has cold and cough with high fever, please do not send him/her to the school. Instead immediately inform the Vidyalaya. Even if any other member of the family has such symptoms, please do inform the Vidyalaya so that prevention can be taken,” the school administration said in a message.

The administration at the Springdales School in Pusa Road has called off school trip to Italy in wake of coronavirus outbreak there. “The students were scheduled to go to London and Italy on trips in the last week of March and first week of April. We cancelled the trips on Monday because of the coronavirus outbreak in many foreign countries. Besides, we have been guiding students about the preventive measures that can be taken to avoid the infection,” said school principal Amita Mulla Wattal.

At Sanskriti School, the administration has issued advisory on their website informing students about the coronavirus. School principal Richa Sharma said, “We are talking to the children and making them wash their hands and maintain hygiene.” The school has also decided to call off all trips scheduled for students at the end of this month.

Deeksha Khera, principal of Delhi Public School (DPS) in Mathura road, said that the school is receiving complaints of rumours about exams being cancelled in WhatsApp groups.

Meanwhile, the Directorate of Education on Tuesday said that they had already issued an advisory with instructions about the preventive measures against the spread of the coronavirus. “We had shared a detailed circular mentioning all preventive measures last month,” said DoE director Binay Bhushan.

In Gurugram, several private schools issued advisories to parents. Monica Sagar, principal of Shiv Nadar School, emailed a step of preventive measures after coronavirus cases were detected.

Heritage Xperiential Learning School also issued a fresh advisory to parents requesting them to report any travel to/from ‘at risk’ places of the child, parents, or any other person in their circle.