Chandigarh, Aug 5: Keeping in view of re-opening of schools after the second wave of COVID-19, Punjab Health Minister Balbir Singh Sidhu on Thursday directed all the Civil Surgeons to ensure surveillance in schools as per SOPs recommended by the committee of experts. The Minister said that to prevent any major outbreak of COVID-19 among children in schools, instructions have been issued to all the Civil Surgeons to prepare a micro-plan which provides data of suspected cases and COVID tests to be conducted in their respective districts. He said that it is responsibility of schools management to educate their teachers, staff and students on COVID-19 prevention measures. He said that schools must develop a schedule for daily cleaning and disinfection of the school environment, facilities and frequently touched surfaces, and ensure availability of hand hygiene. Mr Sidhu said that schools should enforce the policy of “staying home if unwell” and also ensure students or staffs who have been in contact with a COVID-19 case to stay home for 14 days. However, physical distancing of at least 6 feet between individuals can be maintained by spacing of desks, staging recesses, breaks and lunch breaks; limiting the mixing of classes and of age groups; considering smaller classes or alternating attendance schedules, and ensuring good ventilation in classrooms, frequent hand and respiratory hygiene, and environmental cleaning measures should be in place to limit exposure. He clarified that class must be suspended and quarantined for 14 days if one COVID-19 case is confirmed and school must be suspended for 14 days if two or more than two COVID-19 cases are detected. He said that if one-third of the schools in a city or town or block are closed then all schools in that geography must be closed.
