10K antigen tests in Punjab schools daily, govt sets target for DEOs

Balwant Garg

Tribune News Service

Faridkot, August 8

Asking schools to maintain strict surveillance on Covid-19 cases, the School Education Department has issued directions to conduct minimum 10,000 rapid antigen tests in schools across the state every day.

Directing the heads of all schools, the department has fixed district-wise minimum targets of random testing. Ludhiana has to randomly test 1,000 students and school staff members, followed by Amritsar (790), Patiala (700), Jalandhar (647), Sangrur (570), Gurdaspur (565), Fazilka (562), Hoshiarpur (560), Bathinda (552), Tarn Taran (480), Ferozepur (420), Mohali (420), Muktsar (390), Moga (390), Mansa (350), Kapurthala (260), Faridkot (250), Roopnagar (240), Fatehgarh Sahib (220), SBS Nagar (220), Barnala (210) and Pathankot (205).

Upload details online

• Schools to upload details of tests and results on a portal of the School Education Department on a daily basis
• Among every 100 students and staff members, there should be one compulsory random testing
• Students of non-board classes (6th, 7th, 9th and 11th) to attend classes on Monday and Thursday
• Students of board classes (8th, 10th and 12th) to attend classes four days a week — Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday

The district education officers (DEOs) have been asked to meet this minimum target of testing in their respective districts, covering all government and private schools. The schools have to upload the details of tests and the results on a portal of the department on a daily basis. “Among every 100 students and staff members, there should be one compulsory random testing,” read the directions.

To ensure proper distance in classrooms, all students of non-board classes (6th, 7th, 9th and 11th) will attend classes two days a week — Monday and Thursday. Students of board classes (8th, 10th and 12th) will attend school four days a week — Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday.

Keeping in view the impending threat of third wave, schools have been told to ensure everyone on the campus wore masks. Also, there will be no morning assembly and students will be served mid-day meal class-wise.

On days when students are not attending classes, they will be served the mid-day meal in their schools. All students of Classes 6th to 8th will reach the school every day for the purpose of taking their mid-day meal. Teachers will arrange online classes for students on their offline days. All schools in the state were reopened from August 2 after a gap of more than four months.

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