Maharashtra, which has reported 40,000-45,000 cases daily in the past one week, has allowed schools to reopen. Haryana’s education minister has also indicated the reopening of schools in a phased manner, though a final decision is yet to be taken.
Sources said that the Delhi government has also considered the matter but no decision has been taken yet. Deputy CM Manish Sisodia, who also holds the education department, had recently said that 100% immunization of students would help the government move from online to offline mode. Sisodia said on Saturday, “Now that the cases are reducing significantly and most of the students of higher classes have been vaccinated, a proposal will be placed before the Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) to reopen the schools.”
Stating that more than 60% of eligible students have been vaccinated, the Union Action Committee of Private Schools has written to the Minister in this regard.
Dr Chandrakant Laharia, an epidemiologist and public policy expert, said that children have developed the same infection as adults in the current wave. However, he said, the rate of hospitalization is much lower in the 0-17 age group compared to adults.
“The likelihood of severe disease in healthy children has been low and has not changed with the emergence of new forms,” he said.
A report published by the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control in July, when the delta variant of SARS-CoV2 was widespread globally, said that the benefits of keeping schools open far outweigh the risks posed by disease transmission among children, Especially because the data has been suggested. that school-going children were less likely to develop severe symptoms, even if they had contracted the disease. “…the decision to close schools to control the pandemic should be used as a last resort,” it said.
Ashok Agarwal, a lawyer and public health activist, said it was wrong to keep the schools closed. “Governments do not want to take the risk or make arrangements for the continuation of academic activities with adherence to the COVID protocols,” he said.
“The parents of the children are going out for work, coming back and infecting the children. Many children are getting infected while going to play in the park. So, closing the school doesn’t really serve any purpose. They should be opened up, especially because all available data shows that children who do not have any underlying medical conditions are less likely to develop complications,” Agarwal said.
The Indian Association of Preventive and Social Medicine (IAPSM), a consortium of leading public health experts, has strongly advocated the reopening of schools. IAPSM President Dr Sunila Garg said that pre-school classes should also resume. “The loss from the closure is beyond recovery. This has led to abandonment of children and even child marriages,” she said.
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