Covid outbreak among students, teachers reported at Tousem
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, July 19 2021:
In a frightful development, 2 teachers and 23 students of a school in Tamenglong district who undertook physical classes amid restrictions in the wake of Covid pandemic, are said to have tested positive for Covid.
The Sangai Express has learnt that the teachers and students of Wisdom English School, under Tousem sub-division, reportedly undertook physical classes starting from the first week of July after screening the students.
It is learnt that the decision to start physical class was approved by the school authority and parents who were concerned about their children's career and in consideration of poor power supply and mobile connectivity.
The situation remains grim as it is reported that students who undertook classes were not only from Tousem sub-division but from other neighbouring areas too.
A source maintained that reports about fever and flu among students were detected last week and were eventually tested to ascertain whether it was Covid or not.
Sadly many of the results returned positive for the virus, the source said.
While speaking to the Sangai Express, CMO of Tamenglong district, G Majachunglu maintained that a team of Health Department led by MO of Tousem sub-division, doctors, nurses and other staff rushed to the school upon receiving the news about the massive detection of Covid cases among the teachers and students and necessary treatments are underway.
The CMO further stated the team collected 327 samples after thorough contact tracing of the symptomatic students.
Results of 2 teachers and 23 students returned Covid positive.
Of the 25 positive cases, 19 students and 2 teachers have been isolated and are being lodged at the school while four students are currently on home isolation, said the CMO who also added that necessary medical assistance has been provided to all the infected persons.
Maintaining that the cases are being strictly monitored, the CMO said that no issues have been detected so far and family members of those undergoing home isolation are constantly advised to adhere to SOPs for COVID-19.In the meantime, president of Tousem Area Students' Organization (TASO) expressed suspicion that there may have been a similar outbreak at Tousem High School.
He also stated that poor mobile internet service in the Tousem area has been a cause of concern and has badly hindered conduct of online classes.
As such physical classes were conducted with due consultation of parents and school authorities, he stated.
The sub-division is quite isolated when compared to other sub-divisions and parents might have considered it less risky to send their wards for physical class, he opined.
There are around 10 Governmental and privately run primary and high schools and most of the schools have undertaken physical classes till recent days.
The TASO president also lamented that there is no Covid testing facility in Tousem sub-division and expressed concern that there could be more Covid cases.