Avoid Large Gatherings, Says Health Ministry In Advisory To Schools After 30 Cases Of Coronavirus in India

New Delhi: In wake of the 30 confirmed cases of novel coronavirus in India, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has come out with a school advisory. The said advisory, suggests all schools to avoid large gathering of students in the school premises. Furthermore, it says that any student or staff with travel history to any coronavirus (COVID-19) affected country or in contact with such persons in the last 28 days should be monitored and home quarantined for 14 days.

The Health Ministry advisory asks class teachers to remain ‘alert of any possible signs and symptoms among students like coughing, fever or difficulty in breathing and immediately inform the parents to get them tested.’ Any affected student should not join school unless okayed by a doctor it also suggests.

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The Health Ministry’s advisory also asked the schools to maintain basic hygiene like making children wash hands frequently and thoroughly with soap and water and asked schools to place alcohol-based hand sanitizer at various spots along with monitoring students staying in hostels.

Soap and water should be available in restrooms at all times. Everyone should cover their mouth with a tissue/handkerchief when they cough or sneeze and wash their hands afterwards. Do not touch your eyes, nose and mouth. Everyone should throw away used tissues in a bin and wash their hands after contact with coughing or sneezing, the Ministry instructs.

The advisory also states that frequently touched surfaces like door knobs, switches, desktops, hand railing should be disinfected across the campus.

If anyone is suspected with the virus should be reported at the dedicated helpline number at 011-23978046 or visit public health facility with a mask or mouth covered, it adds.

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Meanwhile, Delhi’s Deputy Chief Minister, Manish Sisodia has announced that all primary schools in the national capital will remain shut until March 31. He said tHat the decision has been taken as A precautionary measure to prevent the possibility of spread of the coronavirus among children.

On the other hand, the Karnataka government also released an advisory for city-based companies to allow their employees to work from home if they have ‘flu-like symptoms’.

Those employees having flu like symptoms may be allowed to work from home with advice of standard hand hygiene and cough etiquette, the state Health Department said in its advisory.

The advisory also asked people to avoid non-essential travel to COVID-19 affected countries and refrain from travel to China, Iran, Republic of Korea, Italy and Japan.

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Employees other than those restricted countries arriving directly or indirectly from China, South Korea, Japan, Iran, Italy, Hong Kong, Maccau, Veitnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, Nepal, Thailand, Singapore, Taiwan, the UAE and Qatar must undergo medical screening at airport entry, the advisory read.

Companies have been asked to promote good respiratory hygiene and ensure the availability of surgical masks and paper tissues at workplaces only for those who develop a running nose or cough at work along with closed bins for their hygienic disposal.

The first case of coronavirus in Delhi was detected on Monday. Six suspected cases have been detected in Agra, who came in contact with the person from Delhi who tested positive. As of today, 30 cases of coronavirus have been reported from India, including a group Italian nationals who are now been quarantined. Three persons from Kerala have been discharged after treatment. So far, 3,110 people have died across the globe due to the highly contagious virus.