Ludhiana, March 5: In view of the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19), the District Administration today issued an advisory for school children. Deputy Commissioner Mr Pradeep Kumar Agrawal stated that although the situation was not so alarming in India, “but we should stay alert and take precautions to keep ourselves and others safe from novel coronavirus. We should be careful and maintain highest standards of hygiene like washing hands regularly, avoiding close contact with people etc,” he advised.
He said that all the government and private schools of district Ludhiana are advised to avoid any large gathering of students during the course of the day in the school. He said that any student/staff with travel history to any COVID-19 affected country or in contact with such persons in last 28 days, should be monitored and home quarantined for 14 days.
The class teachers should be alert to any child with signs and symptoms i.e. fever, cough and difficulty in breathing, and should immediately inform the parents to have the child tested, the schools should ask parents not to send child back to school till advised so by the treating doctor, teachers, school staff and students should also be advised about simple public health measures of hand and respiratory hygiene.
He said that to ensure hand hygiene, one should wash hands frequently and thoroughly with soap & water or use alcohol based hand sanitiser, even when hands are visibly clean. In view of the respiratory hygiene, everyone should cover their mouth with a tissue/handkerchief (or their sleeve if there are no tissues available) 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/sneezing.
He advised that frequently touched surfaces such as door knobs, switches, desk tops, hand railings etc should be disinfected. The school authorities should also provide alcohol based hand cleaners/sanitisers in frequented spots of the school, one should ensure availability of soap and water in rest rooms at all times, foot operated pedal bins lined with plastic bag should be provided in each classroom & rest room, in hostels, health status of students as well as the other ancillary staff, should be monitored on regular basis and in case there are suspected cases, the authorised local medical authority should be called for examination.
Civil Surgeon Dr Rajesh Kumar Bagga said that anybody with signs & symptoms (cough, fever or difficulty in breathing) should call the helpline number for district Ludhiana, that is 0161-2444193, or Dr Divjot Singh at 9041274030 or Dr Ramesh Kumar at 9855716180. He said that even the private hospitals have made arrangements to fight coronavirus, wherein 55 beds, 38 ventilator isolation wards have been set up and 45 beds have been set up in government hospitals.
By: Karni Pratap
