Officials say testing camps set up for volunteers but no takers

New Delhi: Officials at the Sub-Divisional Magistrate's office in Dwarka have now said that they have set up multiple testing camps for teachers of COVID-19 duty, but "only a handful of teachers were turning up".

This comes after Millennium Post reported that government school teachers who were on COVID-19 duty in containment zones of Dwarka.

SDM Chader Shekhar said that authorities conduct around 500-700 tests every day in Raj Nagar, one of Delhi's biggest containment zones and there is no reason teachers or other workers on pandemic duty would be denied testing.

"We have set up testing camps for our volunteers, including teachers, however hardly anyone comes for tests. One time only 50 teachers came for the test," he said.

On complaints that the teachers were not given PPE kits, Shekhar said, "They are not interacting with covid patients, neither are they going in red zone areas, hence they don't need PPE. We have provided them with N95 masks and gloves as the work is not tedious."

The official added that if there was any issue of testing, teachers should come forward and state their concerns. Hundreds of teachers working in government schools have been deployed various covid duties, including ration distribution, surveys at and near containment zones and duty at night shelters.