Schools in the country, which have been mostly closed since March last year as the coronavirus pandemic spread, should be reopened in areas with fewer coronavirus disease (Covid-19) cases, according to Dr Randeep Guleria, director of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS). “I believe that districts with lower virus circulation should open schools in a staggered manner. It [school reopening] can be planned for areas where the positivity rate is less than 5% “In an interview with India Today on Monday, Dr. Guleria stated.
According to Guleria, a member of India’s Covid-19 Task Force, these districts should consider bringing children back to school on alternate days and look for other ways to stagger the reopening. He also stated that if surveillance indicates the spread of Covid-19 cases, schools will be closed immediately.
“The reason is that we should consider not only a normal life for our children, but also the importance of schooling in a child’s overall development,” Guleria said.
Many children in India have developed natural immunity to Covid-19 and have been exposed to the coronavirus, according to the top doctor. Schools have been closed for a long time, and children have suffered as a result of the lack of access, he added.
Guleria also mentioned the digital divide, pointing out that most classes are held offline and that many students do not have access to the internet. “Covid-19 has reaffirmed the need to bridge the gaps in Internet access,” he was quoted as saying. “The digital divide exists across borders, fields, and generations, impacting virtually every aspect of life.”
India’s cumulative tally of Covid-19 now stands at 31,144,229 and 414,108 people have succumbed to the coronavirus disease, according to the Union ministry of health and family welfare. The number of Covid-19 cases has been coming down after a peak in April and May.
