Rising COVID-19 cases across some states in India had the Jharkhand School Education and Literacy Department issue a slew of guidelines for state-run schools on April 25. Secretary of the department Rajesh Kumar Sharma, via a letter, has directed all deputy commissioners, district education officers and district superintendents of education to follow the COVID-19 guidelines. The guidelines apply to students, teachers, staff and school authorities.
According to these newly issued instructions, the schools have to cancel morning assembly, cultural programmes and sports activities in all the schools. Additionally, the schools are required to keep their premises, classrooms, laboratories, libraries etc sanitised regularly every 15 days using a sodium hypochlorite solution. The schools also have to ensure and arrange a vaccination drive for eligible students in the age group of 12-18 years. This should be done so in coordination with the Health Department. Double vaccination has to also be ensured for all teaching and non-teaching staff. The schools have also been asked to conduct regular health check-ups in coordination with the nearest health centres. The district administration will also be conducting random COVID-19 tests for both students and teachers.
It has also been directed that the protocols of wearing masks and maintaining social distance be followed. This has all been done to restrict the spread of COVID-19 in the state. According to a Health Department bulletin released on April 23, Jharkhand currently has 21 active cases. Expressing his concern over the matter, Rajesh Sharma has said that it is a time when it has become imperative to ensure all necessary initiatives to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in state-run schools.
