Telangana health authorities have closed down a private junior college in Narsingi in Hyderabad’s Ranga Reddy district after 38 students tested positive for coronavirus. On Wednesday, December 29, the authorities instructed the management to shut the college down for a week. The transmission of the virus came to the notice of the authorities after a student complained of fever and a sore throat – symptoms of COVID-19 – to the District Medical Health Officer’s (DMHO) office on Tuesday.
A health team immediately visited the school and conducted tests on 132 students, out of whom 38 tested positive. “We conducted a rapid antigen test (RAT) on the 132 students, out of which 20 students tested positive on Tuesday, and 18 others on Wednesday. We are conducting tests on the other students and staff members as well,” said Ranga Reddy DMHO Swarajya Lakshmi. The severity of the infections is mild and most of the students are asymptomatic.
There are a total of 300 students studying in the college and the DMHO said that they have instructed the college management to close down the institution for seven days and fully sanitise the premises, as per protocol.
Meanwhile, on Thursday, December 30, in view of New Year festivities and the upcoming Sankranti festival, the Telangana Director of Public Health and Family Welfare, G Srinivasa Rao, cautioned people to remain alert for the next 2-4 weeks as there is a surge in COVID-19 cases.
He said the coming 2-4 weeks will be critical for the state and for the entire country due to the spike in cases. "Omicron has already spread in the community. Everybody is vulnerable but it is in the hands of every person to protect himself," he said. Srinivasa Rao also said that in the last 2-3 days Telangana has recorded a minor jump in the number of cases. He pointed out that states like Delhi and Maharashtra were witnessing a big surge. However, he said that people need not panic but should remain alert and take all precautions.
With IANS inputs