In view of the rising coronavirus cases, the Surat Municipal Corporation Wednesday has appealed self-financed and grant-in-aid schools and colleges in the city to conduct classes online. It has, however, allowed colleges and schools, where exams are going on, to complete the remaining papers offline but later resume online classes.

This comes a days after the SMC’s health department officials conducted a meeting with district education officer H H Rajyaguru and the representatives of different private and grant-in-aid schools at Vanita Vishram school.

In the meeting, the health department had shared information stating that since the last three days, the civic body had conducted Rapid Antigen Tests in different private and grant-in-aid schools and colleges across the city.
A total of 2,500 RATs were conducted on students, teachers and professors, officials said. Of them, more than 40 students and teachers were tested positive for the virus and have been subsequently put under home quarantine, they added.

The health department officials said they have requested the representatives of the school and colleges present at the meeting to get their school’s name registered on the SMC’s portal https://office.suratmunicipal.org/ SMCCOVID19. The representatives also have been told to give update all Covid-19-related information — about positive case found in the schools – on the portal.

The health department officials said schools and colleges that report single Covid-19 positive case, can close and disinfected the classroom, which the teacher/student concerned attended, for seven days.

If more than three students/teachers are reported positive from a single school, then entire premise will have to be closed for seven days and disinfection process to be carried out, it stated.

SMC deputy health commissioner Dr Ashish Naik said, “In the meeting, we have appealed to the private and grant-in-aid schools and colleges to conducted classes online. Those schools and colleges, where exams are going on, should complete remaining exams offline but later continue taking classes online.”

Surat district education officer H H Rajyaguru said offline exams for class 6 to 8 was going on at present and it will continue till March 22.

“Offline exams for class 9 to 12 will start from March 19 and continue till March 27. So, schools where exams are going on can continue with offline activities. Social distance should be maintained in the classroom even during exams.”
On Wednesday, a total of 315 Covid-19 cases were reported from the SMC limits.