A day after schools reopened across Odisha for Class 10 and 12 students, at least 26 teachers and 2 students tested positive for Covid-19 in Gajapati district.
Chief district medical officer of Gajapati, Pradip Kumar Patra said while 17 teachers tested positive for the virus on Friday, nine more were found infected on Saturday. Of the 26, Mohana block accounted for 21 cases.
Patra said the tests were done as per SOPs laid out by the school and mass education department. "All those teachers who tested positive for Covid-19 are asymptomatic. There is nothing to worry about. The teachers have been asked to quarantine themselves," said Patra.
On Thursday, two government schools in Bihar were shut after 22 students in Munger and the principal of a school in Sariya block of Gaya district tested positive for Covid-19.
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On Friday, the Odisha government had reopened the schools for Classes 10 and 12 in view of the board examinations. As per the SOP, students will attend schools with the written consent of parents but attendance will not be enforced.
Parents have to ensure they take responsibility of the child’s commute to school. No student will be coerced to come to school. Only those parents and students who feel comfortable attending school should do so. All the classrooms will be sanitised every day after the closure of the school. A maximum of 25 students would be allowed to sit in each classroom, the standard operating protocol stated.
{{/usCountry}}Parents have to ensure they take responsibility of the child’s commute to school. No student will be coerced to come to school. Only those parents and students who feel comfortable attending school should do so. All the classrooms will be sanitised every day after the closure of the school. A maximum of 25 students would be allowed to sit in each classroom, the standard operating protocol stated.
{{/usCountry}}Schools without 100 per cent access to potable drinking water and adequate functional toilets for all students have not been allowed to reopen. Hostel facilities have not been opened.