The signs of the COVID-19 third wave are more than apparent in Odisha as the state's Sundargarh district reported as many as 166 new cases on January 5, 2022. It is the educational institutions that seem to be battling cluster outbreaks as from the number of fresh infections, 127 cases were found at Rourkela alone. 

On January 3, 22, only 69 infections were reported but now, the rise in cases has touched a whopping 240 per cent. The test positivity rate (TPR) is at 4.20 per cent as opposed to 0.5 per cent reported five days back.  

Dr SK Mishra, Chief District Medical Officer (CDMO), informed that at Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya, Sargipali, 36 students and one employee had tested positive on January 4, 2022. It was only ten students who were showing symptoms and once the antigen tests were conducted for them, it was found that they had tested positive.  

The chief district medical office also went on to inform that though they insisted that those students who are infected should be isolated in hostels itself, parents, after submitting written undertakings, took their children home. It is the rapid response teams (RRTs) who will be keeping a keen eye on the health of those students who are isolating at home. 

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Twenty-three — that was the number of COVID-19 cases reported at the National Institute of Technology-Rourkela (NIT-R) till January 4, 2022. This number included about half a dozen of professors as well, including the inchrage director. 

Sources inform that NIT-R is likely to see a further spike in cases as from the 110 professors, about 70 per cent were returning from their native places in West Bengal after spending their winter vacations with their own families from December 13. It was by January 2, 2022 that they came back to the campus. It is these professors and their family members who account for maximum COVID-19 positive cases that have been reported on campus.   

Post a reality check on January 5, 2022, it was reported that many principals and employees were not even wearing masks or adhering to COVID-19 protocols. The COVID-inappropriate behaviour of teachers is now having an effect on students as well, who are anyway indifferent to safety measures.