67 Tibetan school students found Covid +ve after attending classes

Dipender Manta

Tribune News Service

Mandi, November 7

As many as 92, students and the staff of Tibetan Children Village school at Chauntra village under Jogindernagar, were found Covid positive today. Among the patients are 40 boys and 27 girl students and 25 school employees. All students are of Class X and XII.

The majority of students are from Ladakh, Nepal, Arunachal and South India, who had arrived at Chauntra village to attend classes after the government had decided to open schools. It is a boarding school.

The situation is becoming alarming in Mandi as yesterday, 141 new cases were found in the district.

According to medical experts, the decision of the state government to resume classes may prove fatal for the students as cases are on the spike in the district. Till date, as many as 100 schoolteachers have been found positive in Mandi.

Those died of the infection are a 16-year-old girl Diksha of Bilaspur district and Nandi (65) and Virender (49) both of Lahaul Spiti.

Chief Medical Officer, Mandi, Dr Devender Sharma said, “The students had arrived at Chauntra village just a few days ago to join the classes. As a precautionary measure, we have decided to conduct Covid test before allowing them to attend the classes. As many as 67 students were found positive, while more cases are expected.”

Deputy Commissioner Rugved Thakur said as a precautionary measure, the students had been isolated and had been on medication. The health authorities are monitoring the situation. Most cases are asymptomatic.

The DC said if need be, the students would be shifted to the dedicated Covid care centers.