Schools in Maharashtra reopening amid fourth wave scare, but cases are mild

• Maharashtra, which is currently witnessing the highest surge in cases, announced that the schools in the state will reopen from June 15.
• Education Minister Varsha Gaikwad said that the schools will be opened with all the necessary COVID measures.
• It is to be noted that children below 12 years of age have still not been vaccinated and going to school may increase their chances of getting infected.

Amid rising COVID-19 cases and fear of a possible fourth wave, schools in almost all the states are reopening once again. Maharashtra, which is currently witnessing the highest surge in cases, announced that the schools in the state will reopen from June 15.

“Schools will open with all necessary precautions on June 15 which has been the date for reopening of schools (after summer vacation),” said Education Minister Varsha Gaikwad in a statement.

She added that the schools will be opened with all the necessary COVID measures. She also mentioned that students in grades 1 and 2 have never been to schools due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the last two years.

It is to be noted that children below 12 years of age have still not been vaccinated and going to school may increase their chances of getting infected. Only children between 12 to 17 years are eligible in the current vaccination drive going on in the country.

Three schools in Delhi NCR region were closed after 18 students tested positive for COVID-19 and shifted to online mode as a precautionary measure, during April this year.

Maharashtra has been reporting more than 1000 daily cases from past five days. It recorded over 1,800 new cases in the last 24 hours, as of June 8, today.

Cases are expected to surge after school opening

Experts believe that opening of schools may trigger a surge in the number of cases but are tend to be mild which doesn’t need hospitalisation.

“It is difficult for children to follow Covid protocols. The only good thing is that most patients have mild symptoms, said Sushila Kataria, senior director (internal medicine) at Medanta Hospital, Gurgaon.

Maharashtra’s health minister Rajesh Tope on June 6, Monday, said that wearing mask is not necessary but people should wear them voluntarily to curb the cases. “The government has not taken any decision on making the use of masks mandatory but we are urging people to wear masks. Instead of falling ill, citizens should observe hygiene, wear the mask and follow social distancing,” Tope said in a statement.

However, Maharashtra is not the only state to roll out this decision. Kerala’s Education Minister V Sivankutty announced reopening of schools amid rising cases on June 1. Kerala is also reporting over 1,000 cases daily.

However, masks are compulsory for all the students, teachers and non-teaching staff in the schools and vaccines are mandatory for children above 12 years.

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