Sikkim shuts all schools, colleges within a week of reopening as students test COVID-positive

The Sikkim government on Saturday announced that all schools and colleges in the state would be shut down after COVID-19 cases were found among students.

Education Secretary GP Upadhaya said that schools and colleges were opened on September 6. In the schools, classes were being held for students of standard 9 and above. However, after some schools reported that at least five students were found to be COVID-positive, it was decided to shut the educational institutions again till October 31, he said. The school and colleges were functioning with 50 per cent staff, and students were attending class only after obtaining the consent of their parents, Upadhaya said.

COVID-positive cases were reported from government schools in Namthang in South Sikkim, Rhenock in East Sikkim and Yuksom in West Sikkim, besides a private school at Mangan in North Sikkim district, he said.

"The state government is very concerned that if the schools are not closed the chances of more cases are very high," he said. All primary contacts of the infected students were being traced and more cases could be reported, he said. "This is a state-wide trend and we do not want to compromise with the health of the students, which is why the state government has decided to close all schools and colleges," he said.