2 Noida schools shut after parent of a child tests positive for coronavirus

Panic has gripped parents of a private school in Noida, which has now declared a three-day closure, after it emerged that the children of the Delhi man diagnosed infected by the novel Coronavirus study in the school. Shortly after, another school in the area announced that it will remain shut till March 9.

The two children of the patient did not attend school on Monday. On Sunday evening, WhatsApp groups of parents of the Shriram Millenium School students began buzzing with messages about the possible case, said a parent who did not want to be named. This led to them taking precautionary measures and a majority of the students did not attend school on Monday. About 100 students went to school though, added the same parent.

The school has declared a holiday from today and a decision has been taken to give three days' off to everyone at school, said a person in the school management familiar with the matter.

"We are sanitising the Shriram Millennium School as a precautionary measure. A few students from the school attended a birthday party hosted by the Coronavirus patient from Delhi on February 28. We have called for a parents' meeting to spread awareness on the issue so that there is no panic. We are in touch with the school authorities and parents to ensure that all the required precautions are taken by the affected persons," said Dr Anurag Bhargava, chief medical officer, Gautam Budh Nagar.

Shortly after, another school in the area announced that it will remain shut till March 9.

"In the wake of the worldwide spread of the coronavirus, and detection of 2 cases in India (1 in Delhi), it has been decided to close Shiv Nadar School until the 9th of March in order to sanitize our spaces and completely remove all scope for the further spread of this virus," read a statement from the Shiv Nadar School in Noida.

A spokesperson for Shriram Millennium School said that a formal statement will be issued later today.

The school sent a message to the parents on Tuesday morning.

"Due to certain unavoidable circumstances we will be postponing the exams scheduled for today. The new dates will be communicated shortly. The Board exams will continue as normal. The children of classes 7-11 may come for extra classes if they wish. Class 6 and IGCSE classes continue with the study leave."

(Inputs from hindustantimes.com)