3 students, 2 teachers test positive in Tamil Nadu since school reopening

TRICHY/ COIMBATORE/ CUDDALORE: Three school students and two teachers have tested positive for Covid-19 so far in the state since schools reopened on Wednesday. They included two girls in Ariyalur, another in Namakkal and two teachers handling higher secondary classes in Cuddalore.
Among the two Ariyalur girls, one is a Class XII student and hosteller at Annai Lourd higher secondary school in Varadarajanpettai.As she developed mild upper respiratory infection (URI) symptoms, she gave her swab for RT-PCR test at Jayankondam GH on September 1. As the result came positive, she was moved to Jayankondam GH for further care. However, she had attended classes on Thursday. In the other case, a Class IX girl, a day scholar at Nirmala girls higher secondary school, had higher body temperature during thermal scanning at the school on Wednesday. She subsequently underwent RT-PCR test and tested positive even though she had no other symptoms. She did not attend classes on Thursday.
The Class IX student who had been undergoing chemotherapy in recent years, was asymptomatic and was admitted to Ariyalur government medical college hospital. The district health department has collected more than 60 samples from the primary and secondary contacts of the two girls including family members, classmates and teachers. Hostels and school managements were told to ensure the screening process further, she said. The schools have closed the classrooms and blocks used by these students. Officials said the schools will continue to function and students will be accommodated in the unused classrooms.
In another case, a Class X student from Namakkal who attended classes on Wednesday tested positive when her Covid test result came the next day. “All the 300-odd students and teachers underwent test to check for the virus spread. While none of them were found to have contracted the virus, alternative arrangement was made for the students to continue classes from Friday,” said Namakkal DEO A Balumuthu.
In Cuddalore district, two teachers handling higher secondary classes at Jawahar matriculation HSS in Neyveli tested positive for Covid-19. The teacher along with others gave swab samples before the schools reopened on September 1. Their test results which were announced on Friday returned positive following which the school management requested the students who were in contact with the teacher to isolate themselves. A trained graduate teacher posted at Venugopalapuram government GHSS also tested positive. Health officials said the teacher, who started attending school from September 1, was resting in the staff room on Thursday. She complained of nausea and vomiting and was isolated immediately. She and her daughter had given swab samples a day before the school reopened.