COVID in Delhi Schools: Will DDMA decide to Close Down Schools as cases soar past 500?

COVID Cases in Delhi Schools: Mask Mandates are back in Delhi and regions of NCR as COVID-19 case count continues to rise in the National Capital Region in the last week. But what is troubling most parents and students is the identification of COVID-19 positive cases on school campuses in the last week. Unlike previous waves, where schools were last to be impacted as they were closed down early; during the recent surge, many public and private schools have reported COVID positive cases among students and staff members. As the COVID-19 caseload continues to increase, Delhi Govt has called an important meeting of DDMA on 20th April to decide if schools should be closed down again or not?

Will Schools be Closed due to surge in COVID cases?

At this moment there is clarity regarding the immediate closure of schools. However, Delhi Government has called a meeting of the Delhi Disaster Management Authority, DDMA, tomorrow, 20th April 2022 to review the prevailing COVID situation in the National Capital and prescribe necessary guidelines to control the surge.

One of the biggest questions to be discussed at tomorrow’s DDMA Meeting would be if Schools should be closed down again or not? In addition to this, the Disaster Management Authority will also be tasked with deciding to make masks mandatory on campus and also prescribe guidelines regarding school closures even if a single COVID-19 positive case is found on campus.

Are Schools Becoming COVID Hotspots in Delhi?

During the last week, several schools have reported COVID-19 positive cases among school students and staff members. Following this, many health experts have hinted that relaxation in COVID-19 guidelines and mask mandates during March and April 2022 may have led to schools becoming hotspots for COVID infections. In fact, a media report, Delhi’s COVID Positivity rate crossed 7% on 18th April 2022. As far as infections in schools are concerned, a media report has shown that 27% of the COVID-19 patients that have needed hospitalization are school kids, raising further concerns among parents and school administrators about continuing offline classes. Given such statistics and data, DDMA meeting scheduled for tomorrow may prove to be very crucial in deciding further course of action regarding School Closures.

Also Read: COVID-19 Cases Surge in Delhi-NCR, Govt issues Strict Guidelines, Protocols to Keep Students Safe