At least 40 students of a boarding school in Himachal Pradesh’s Mandi district have tested positive for Covid-19. Three staff members have also contracted the virus, and now Dr Vijay Memorial Senior Secondary Boarding School in Dharampur town has been converted into a containment zone. While the students don’t frequent outside the school, the staff goes to the market and other places. There are currently 130 students in the boarding school from Classes 9-12. Schools and other educational institutions have been gradually resuming physical classes across the country.
Sarkaghat Sub-District Magistrate (SDM) Rahul Jain, who is also the SDM of Dharampur, said that some students on Saturday were taken to the civil hospital after they fell sick. These students were tested for Covid-19 and later found to have been infected. Jain added that a team of the health department reached the school on Sunday and took samples of other students as well after which 22 students and three staff members turned out positive.
More samples were taken on Monday when 18 other students got diagnosed with Covid-19. As 43 people were confirmed of contracting the virus, the school was declared a containment zone. All the students have been isolated, and the health department and district administration are monitoring the situation.
Dr Vijay Memorial Senior Secondary Boarding School houses only students from Class 9-12. Currently, 130 students, both male and female, are staying there. Students need to clear an entrance test for admission into Class 9 and then all the expenses of the selected students are borne by the school authorities till Class 12.
Meanwhile, Himachal Pradesh reported 234 new Covid-19 infections and three deaths on Monday. The active caseload has shot up to 1,616. Mandi district reported 70 new cases on Monday. At least 51 fresh cases were recorded in Hamirpur, 39 in Kangra, 36 in Bilaspur and 25 in Shimla.
