Tamil Nadu: At Least 30 Students, Teachers Test Positive After Reopening Of Schools

A class X student from Tiruchengode government school and three class IX students from a government school in Coimbatore were among those who tested positive for the infection.

Chennai: At least 30 students and teachers have tested positive for the covid-19 infection in Tamil Nadu ever since the schools were reopened for classes IX to XII students on September 1. 

According to a report in Indianexpress.com, reports of students and teachers testing positive have started coming in within two days after the school premises were reopened and this happens even as the state government has asked the school management to strictly adhere to Covid-19 protocols at the school premises. 

The report said, a class X student from Tiruchengode government school in Namakkal district, a class IX student of a private school in Jayakondam, and three class IX students from a government higher secondary school in Coimbatore were among the students who tested positive for the infection after the schools were reopened.

A private school in Chennai was also closed after a class X student tested positive and the health department had carried out a contact tracing exercise, the report said and added the health department had identified 103 people as his contacts and all of them have tested negative for the infection. 

Similarly, a secondary-grade teacher in Cuddalore district, four government school teachers in Tiruppur district, and three other teachers in Tiruvannamalai districts were also tested positive for the infection, the report said, adding that similar cases have also been reported in districts like Karur, Chengalpet, and Salem districts. 

Dr Selva Vinayagam, the director of public health, told Indianexpress.com that 1% of the students have tested positive ever since the schools were reopened and a health team was monitoring the situation.