Coronavirus in Noida: 40 students sent to isolation for a month

Forty students, who had attended a birthday party at the house of a COVID-19 patient, have been tested and sent to 28-day self isolation, Chief Medical Officer of Gautam Buddha Nagar Anurag Bhargava told news agency IANS.

"A total of 40 students of the school have been tested for the virus and sent to a 28-day isolation. School will be closed for a day or two now. During this time it will be sanitised. The process of sanitising the school will take one to two days. It takes more than an hour to sanitise a room, our medical team has told the school about the treatment," Bhargava told IANS.

Bhargava said samples from 40 people have been sent for testing, and reports are expected to come within hours. He further added that authorities are in touch with Health Ministry to monitor the situation.

Two schools in Noida have already shut down temporarily - children of the coronavirus patient identified in Delhi studied at one - while others are taking steps to sterilise their campuses. They have asked students with cough and cold to stay at home. All students belonged to the same school as the patient's son, Shriram Millennium School.

Meanwhile, school administration sprung into action after the news started doing the rounds on the social media.

"Dear Parents, due to certain unavoidable circumstances we will be postponing the exams scheduled today. The new dates will be communicated shortly," a message by school administration read. "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."

On Monday, two positive cases of the virus were found in Hyderabad and Delhi. Both are under treatment. The Delhi patient had travelled to Italy.

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