12 students in Jaipur school test Covid-19 positive; classes cancelled | Jaipur News

As many as 12 students from a private school in Jaipur tested positive for Covid-19 in the last 24 hours, the city’s chief medical health officer (CMHO) confirmed on Tuesday. Following this, school authorities cancelled classes for standard 6 to 12 until Saturday. All infected students are from hostels within the school campus of Jayshree Periwal International School (JPIS), located in Mahapura on Jaipur-Ajmer Road.

JAIPUR: As many as 12 students from a private school in Jaipur tested positive for Covid-19 in the last 24 hours, the city’s chief medical health officer (CMHO) confirmed on Tuesday. Following this, school authorities cancelled classes for standard 6 to 12 until Saturday. All infected students are from hostels within the school campus of Jayshree Periwal International School (JPIS), located in Mahapura on Jaipur-Ajmer Road.
Health officials said that they have sent a team to assist the school to follow procedures related to the outbreak. Contrary to the medical department’s claim, school authorities told TOI that the 12 cases had emerged over a week and, at present, just three students were placed under quarantine in a hostel. Last week, students of two other private schools from Jaipur had tested positive.
Dr Narrottam Sharma, CMHO, Jaipur I, said, “An 11th class girl tested positive for Covid on Sunday. Following this, the school got 185 staff members and students in hostels to take the test. Twelve children were found infected in the report that arrived in the day. Our rapid response teams are in the school and conducting activities such as contact tracing.”
But Jayshree Periwal, chairperson, JPIS, said that the 12 students were reported infected over the past week. “Only three are placed under quarantine here while others have left for their native place, Delhi. Following the rules, classes 6-12 have been declared shut till the uncertainty is over. The school is working under the guidance of Sawai Man Singh Hospital. Parents have been informed of the decision via email. Online classes will be run as usual,” said Periwal. The medical report said that all students were asymptomatic.
The guidelines or standard operating procedures (SOPs) released by the home department says that classes are to be shut for 10 days in case of a positive case. It, however, doesn’t say anything about the rules to be followed in case of any minor or major outbreak reported in schools.
Reacting to the situation, district collector Antar Singh Nehra said that schools must shut down for a minimum of 10 days to prevent the spread as per the guidelines. “Other than closing the affected class, it is the prerogative of the school to close down the entire block, the wing or the institute in the interest of all concerned,” Nehra said.