9 Things To Keep In Mind After Schools and Colleges Reopen

As Schools and Colleges reopen, what are the precautionary measures we must keep in mind?

  

As most States prepare to reopen schools and colleges post Covid-19 lockdown, it is essential to adapt to the new normal. India crossed the 100-Crore vaccination milestone recently, with 24.5 percent being fully immunized. While the vaccinations have proven to be 91 percent effective, many countries have started lifting the restrictions imposed. With the hope of returning to our normal lives, a large number of schools and colleges have reopened in various states of India. Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Tamil Nadu, Tripura, Telangana, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Puducherry, Haryana, and Assam have already given green signals to reopen all the Educational Institutes.

“With students travelling from all over, it is imperative to ensure that all precautions are taken. After all, there is still time to rely on a vaccine,” said Dr Reshu Agarwal, Consultant-Internal Medicine, Manipal Hospital Whitefield, Bengaluru,“It is important to keep in mind that students will be arriving at their colleges from different geographical locations. There could be a potential surge in the number of cases with reopening of the educational institutions. The students will want to meet their friends. Even if one student falls sick, it could lead to an exponential increase in cases." She further added,” As it’s a younger population there are high chances of them showing mild symptoms of COVID. Teachers or professors who teach at these institutions need to be especially cautious, if they belong to an older age bracket, thus being at a higher risk of contracting the virus. Thus, a periodic reinforcement of hygienic and sanitization habits is important.”

As drafted by UNICEF and WHO, a list of precautions must be strictly followed by students, teachers, and Institutes in general, to keep everyone safe.

1.Basic social distancing has to be maintained everywhere, even in classrooms. The desks and chairs must be kept at a distance from one another (preferably 2-3mtrs.)

2.Gatherings should be avoided at all costs, especially during assemblies and lunch breaks.

3.Classes should be conducted in small batches, to avoid crowding and regulation of the time and the number of students in a place that will be needed.

4.Regular temperature checks of the students and faculty must be conducted and it should be ensured that they are wearing masks at all times.

5.If a person has mild symptoms, it needs to be reported and the person needs to be isolated immediately.

6.Sanitizers should be installed at the entrance of every classroom and the halls and toilets should be sanitized at regular intervals.

7.Everyone should maintain basic hygiene and consume a healthy diet to boost immunity.

8.The school authorities should address the concerns and fears of students from time to time and follow the safety measures to make everyone feel safe.

9.The school authorities should counsel the parents and students on the benefits of consuming vitamins and minerals, increasing immunity, and giving strength to the body.