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Noida School Shuts After COVID-19 Scare, Six Test Positive in Agra

Noida School Shuts After COVID-19 Scare, Six Test Positive in Agra

New Delhi: A day after the Union health ministry confirmed two new cases of the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus in India – one each in Delhi and Telangana – a school in Noida has reportedly shut after it emerged that several students had attended a birthday party thrown by the person who had tested positive.

The school in Noida has declared it will be closed for three days, according to the Hindustan Times.

The health ministry has also reportedly reached out to those who attended the birthday party to conduct tests and has also asked them to quarantine themselves for a fortnight.

The school in Noida where the children of the patient study is also being fumigated, according to the Indian Express. The person, who had travelled to Italy where over 50 people have succumbed to the disease, is now receiving treatment at the Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital in Delhi. Colleagues of the other patient, who tested positive for the coronavirus in Telangana, have also been asked by the government to quarantine themselves at home.

Also read: Health Ministry Confirms Two New COVID-19 Cases, in Delhi and Telangana

While the school has not released a statement in this regard, a message sent to parents on Tuesday morning by the administration said that exams for the day were being postponed. The message read:

“Due to certain unavoidable circumstances we will be postponing the exams scheduled for today. The new dates will be communicated shortly. The Board exams will continue as normal. The children of classes 7-11 may come for extra classes if they wish. Class 6 and IGCSE classes continue with the study leave.”

The chief medical officer of Gautam Budh Nagar said that a surveillance team was being sent to the school to carry out sanitation activities in the school premises.

Another school in Noida has also decided to stay shut from Wednesday till March 11 to take precautionary steps.

A Press Information Bureau release has said that six cases with high viral load have been detected during sample testing in Agra. The six cases are of those who came into contact with the COVID-19 patient from New Delhi and are being kept in isolation. Their samples are being sent to NIV, Pune for confirmation, according to the release.

Additionally, hotels and tourists sites in Agra have been instructed to inform the office of the chief medical officer as soon as visitors from Italy, Iran or China arrive, so that they can be screened for the coronavirus, an official told PTI.

As soon as any information is received, a team of doctors will be dispatched to examine the visitors for symptoms of COVID-19, Chief Medical Officer of Agra Dr Mukesh Vats said. “All the tourists sites have been told to inform the 24-hour control about visitors from countries where coronavirus outbreak has been reported.”

Asked whether symptoms of coronavirus have been found in any visitor in Agra, he said, “The group of 19 tourists who had come from Jaipur were staying in Crystal Sarovar, and had arrived day before yesterday (Sunday) at 2.00 pm. Next (Monday) morning at around 8.00 am, they left for Delhi.”

The Uttar Pradesh government had on January 27 directed officials to set up 10-bed isolation wards in every district hospital and medical college of the state as a precautionary measure to deal with any suspected case of coronavirus.

(With inputs from PTI)

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