Surge in Covid cases of school going children in Himachal

Though the number of active Covid-19 cases is coming down yet the finding of new Covid-19 cases in the state especially the school-going children has created panic in the official circles as well as in the public. No day passes when new positive corona cases were not reported from any part of the state. The districts of Kangra, Hamirpur, Mandi, Shimla, and Bilaspur are the main districts where the new cases are found during the last one month on regular basis. The number of active cases in the district of Kangra stands at 480, followed by Hamirpur 368, Mandi 197, Shimla 135, and Bilaspur 117.Reports reaching here revealed that out of 1,559 active cases, about forty percent are the children who had recently started going to schools. Such cases had been detected in all the districts of the state and recently, about one hundred such cases were found in Mandi district and new cases have been reported from the district of Hamirpur. An official spokesman claimed that ten students and staff members of a rural GSSS, Garli have been found suffering from the Virus and now such cases have also been found from the GSSS for boys, Hamirpur and Bal Ashram, Sujanpur Tira of the district.

Earlier, a large number of students of the local Medical College were found positive and were made to go for Home isolation. The detection of the cases on such a routine basis has created a hue and cry in the district but the silence of the government and the authorities on this issue is a cause of worry for all. There are reports that those who have been found positive were from the academies where these students were studying when their schools were closed due to the Coronavirus Pandemic. One of the parents of the students studying in a private school told us on anonymity that his son was not interested to join the regular classes as most of his colleagues that were studying in a local academy of Hamirpur have turned positive and were under Home isolation. He said that it was not sure how many other students have been infected and were under Home isolation without getting them tested against the virus. He demanded that all the children going to schools should be tested against the Virus through the RT-PCR method before giving them entry into the premises.

With the festive season starts on October 7th with the arrival of Navratri and marriage season, the situation may take an ugly turn when people will converge on a large number in the houses, temples, markets, and offices. Meanwhile, the district administration has taken strong steps to contain the virus and has given strict instructions to the Police and the Health Department to take preventative measures including challenging those that were violating the COVID-19 guidelines. Deputy Commissioner, Debasweta Banik said that the administration was in the knowledge of the finding of the new cases and was doing its best to contain the cases and to make people aware of the dangers of the Virus. She told our team that work for the mass vaccination was going on in full swing and the field staff of all agencies was busy telling the people how to keep them away from the COVID virus and to remain healthy and fit. Banik appealed to the people not to take a lenient view and don’t venture out without genuine works and wear face masks besides maintaining the social distancing during the public appearances.