Around 190 students,70 teachers of two govt schools in Kerala test positive for COVID-19
Malappuram, Feb 8: Around 190 students and 70 teachers of two government schools in Malappuram have tested positive for COVID-19,prompting health officials to ask school authorities in the district to keep extra vigil and strictly implement the COVID-19 protocol.
A district health official said around 150 students and 34 teachers of the Maranchery higher secondary school tested positive for the virus on Sunday.
"Over 600 students of the school were subjected to virus testing after a student had tested positive late last week. All the students who were tested positive belonged to Class X and classmates of the student who tested positive first," the official said.
In the other case, 39 students and 36 teachers of the Vanneri higher secondary school at Ponnani tested positive.
The rapid rate of spread of the virus has made authorities implement stricter norms of social distancing and other health protocols in all schools.
District health authorities have asked school authorities to strictly implement use of masks and thermal testing of students.
Parents and family members of students and teachers who tested positive have been instructed to go into quarantine.
Both the schools have been closed for disinfecting, officials said.
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Maharashtra sets up state vaccination task force to strengthen immunisation programme
Mumbai (PTI): The Maharashtra government has set up a State Vaccination Task Force to strengthen the regular immunisation programme and review the progress of related campaigns, a health department official said on Monday.
The State Vaccination Task Force will comprise at least 29 members and will be headed by the administrative head of the health department, he informed.
The government has also constituted separate district-level and municipal vaccination task forces to improve implementation and address challenges at the grassroots level, he said.
Municipal task forces, chaired by respective civic commissioners, have been constituted in view of the vast urban population in Maharashtra and the role of civic bodies in implementing different health programmes.
The district-level task forces will function under the chairmanship of collectors.
"Complete immunisation of children at the appropriate age is an extremely simple, cost-effective and highly effective measure to reduce child mortality and the prevalence of diseases among kids. Immunisation is a powerful tool for reducing illness in children," maintained the official.
To ensure full vaccination of all children, the state government implements various campaigns from time to time as per the central government guidelines, he pointed out.
"Active participation and cooperation of other relevant government departments are essential (in making these campaigns successful)," according to the official.
The state-level body will review the regular immunisation programme, associated campaigns and vaccine-preventable diseases in detail. It will also conduct focused assessments of high-risk districts and municipal corporations, including vacancies at district, municipal and sub-district levels, availability of cold chain equipment, resource gaps and training requirements, he noted.
The state task force will review allocation and utilisation of funds for immunisation and ensure timely action by officers concerned based on reports from district and municipal task forces and state-level monitoring mechanisms, the official said.
It will also ensure active coordination and participation of other government departments in immunisation drives, while district and municipal task forces will carry out similar functions at their respective levels, the official added.
