Bhanu P Lohumi
Tribune News Service
Shimla, August 7
Eleven schools in Chamba district were closed today after eight teachers, five students and one non-teaching employee were found Covid positive on Friday.
The Higher Education Department has issued directions that if a Covid case is reported in any educational institution, it will be closed for two days and its premises will be sanitised.
A teacher each was found positive in the Government Senior Secondary Schools (GSSS) of Jadera, Khajjiar, Sei Kothi, Kunra, Lamu, Garola, Ligga and Chakoli. A non-teaching employee of the GSSS, Sila Gharat, was also found infected.
Three students of the GSSS, Holi, and two students of the GSSS, Mehla, were also positive. The schools have been closed for 48 hours. The state government had opened government schools for Classes X to XII and colleges on August 2.
As per the Health Department, a total of 52 students — including 13 in Industrial Training Institutes (ITI) — were found Covid positive after the opening of the institutions. Fifteen of these students are from Kangra, nine each from Shimla and Chamba, seven from Mandi, five from Hamirpur, three from Una, two from Bilaspur and one each from Kullu and Lahaul and Spiti districts.
Due to the spurt in Covid cases in the past few days, parents are again apprehensive about sending their children to school. The situation is likely to be reviewed during the Cabinet meeting.
As per data of the Department of Higher Education, to date, 192 students of Classes VI to XII, including 121 students of Classes X to XII, have been found Covid positive. Besides, a Class VI student had died of the virus. Till today, 1,182 teachers have been infected, out of which 23 died while 24 are still positive. The total strength of teachers in upper primary, high and senior secondary schools is over 46,000. As many as 128 non-teaching employees have been found positive, 11 are still positive and six persons reportedly died due to the virus.
Eight teachers affected
- A teacher each was found positive in the Government Senior Secondary Schools (GSSS) of Jadera, Khajjiar, Sei Kothi, Kunra, Lamu, Garola, Ligga amp; Chakoli. A non-teaching employee of the Sila Gharat school is also infected
- Three students of the GSSS, Holi, and two students of the GSSS, Mehla, were also positive.
- The schools have been closed for two days.
