Coronavirus update: 3 Delhi-NCR schools closed, 2 advance spring break as precautionary measure

Three schools in the national capital and adjoining areas have announced holidays for students and staff as a precautionary measure to prevent spread of coronavirus, while two schools advanced their spring break and others sent out advisories to parents.

On Tuesday, a day after the Union Health Ministry confirmed two fresh cases of coronavirus in the country with one of them in Delhi, two Noida schools sent messages to parents announcing their closure.

One of the two schools, where the infected Delhi man's son is a student in a primary class, said it will remain shut from March 4 to March 6. A health department team fumigated and sanitised the school campus on Tuesday.

A school in Delhi has announced it will be closed from Thursday while its two branches in Gurgaon have advanced their spring break and will now close from Saturday.

Amity International Schools (AIS) in Delhi-NCR have have fumigated their classrooms and sent advisories to parents detailing the dos and don'ts.

"We have sanitized the schools and fumigated each classroom. We may announce holidays if the need arises. Students and their parents should not panic but take precautionary measures," Principal of AIS Pushp Vihar Ameeta Mohan said.

Nina Kaul, the principal of Heritage Xperiential Learning School, Gurgaon, said, "We have established a comprehensive quarantine protocol and our medical staff have been trained to identify symptoms of coronavirus in order to take necessary steps upon suspecting a case. Parents have been requested not to send their child to school if they are feeling sick and especially if the child has fever".

"We have also requested the parents and staff to declare their travel plans or inform us if the child or someone in the family or in immediate circle of the child has travelled to any of the 'at risk' places so that quarantine protocols can be put into effect," she said.

Sardar Patel Vidyalaya in Delhi has asked parents to inform school authorities if anybody in the family or even relatives who frequently visit are suffering from cough and cold.

"Even if any other member of the family has such symptoms, please inform so that adequate precautionary measures can be taken in this regard," an advisory by the school said.

Schools in the region have also suggested parents to not send their wards to attend classes even in case of mild cough or cold.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday said efforts are on to check and screen 88 people who came in contact with the Delhi man who tested positive for coronavirus.

A taskforce headed by him has been formed to tackle the situation emerging from the coronavirus infection and there is no need to panic, the chief minister said at a press conference.

Union health minister Harsh Vardhan said of the total 28 COVID-19 cases in India, one is a 45-year-old man from Delhi's Mayur Vihar and six are his relatives from Agra whom he recently visited. They are all being treated at the Safdarjung hospital.

A 24-year-old man from Hyderabad has also tested positive for coronavirus and has been isolated. Besides, 16 members of a tourist group from Italy and their Indian driver have been found infected with the virus.

Three coronavirus patients reported in Kerala earlier have already been discharged.