Hyderabad: In a major cause of concern, schools in Telangana are seeing a spurt in COVID-19 cases with clusters being reported from the past few days.
Schools across the state reopened physically for students of 6,7,8 classes from February 24, while 9 and 10 started attending classes from February 1 itself. Several health protocols were put in place, including temperature checks and hand-sanitizing stations.
On Tuesday, thirty-six students of Telangana Minorities Welfare Residential Educational Institutions Society (TMWREIS) in Bandlaguda, tested positive for COVID-19.
According to the health department authorities, all the 160 students underwent Rapid Antigen Tests (RAT) after some of them showed virus symptoms. 36 students tested positive for COVID-19, while ten teachers were tested negative.
The 36 COVID- positive students have been isolated at school itself.
More tests will be conducted on Wednesday. Students and teachers who tested negative were sent home.
“A full-time medical camp has been set up to monitor positive and negative students with a 108 ambulance on standby in case of any complications. TIMS Gachibowli will be the hospital where anyone with complications will be shifted to,” said Dr. Mallikarjun, director of medical health of Malkajgiri-Medchal.
On Monday, fourteen people, including 12 teachers and one student, tested COVID-19 positive in Zilla Parishad Secondary School (Girls), Mancherial, the health department officials confirmed.
More tests were conducted on the following day, in which 29 more positives were found taking the total to 43 cases so far in the school. Among them were nine parents, students and other staff.
Besides, three teachers and a student of two government high schools in Karimnagar too tested positive on Monday. One student and three teachers in Ayilapur school of Jagityal district have also contracted the virus four days ago.
Telangana reported 247 fresh COVID-19 infections and three deaths on Tuesday, with as many as 2,101 active cases.