Covid scare: Schools shut after a week of reopening in Sikkim

The Sikkim government has decided to close all schools in the state once again as positive cases of COVID-19 were reported amongst students.

GP Upadhaya, Secretary of the Education Department has said that the schools and colleges in the state which were opened for standard IX and above on 6 September, will be closed till 31 October.

The reason stated behind this was that 5 students from some of the schools reported the presence of Coronavirus within them.

The Education department Secretary who is also the additional chief secretary of the government of Sikkim said that the schools and colleges were functioning with 50 per cent staff capacity and students were coming to school only after the consent of the parents.

"The state government is very concerned that if the schools are not closed the chances of more positive cases coming up is very high," states Upadhaya.

According to the Secretary, positive cases were reported from government schools in Namthang, South Sikkim, Rhenock, East Sikkim and Yuksom, West Sikkim and a private school in Mangan, North Sikkim.

"The state government is very concerned that if the schools are not closed the chances of more positive cases coming up is very high," said Upadhaya.

He also mentioned that all primary contacts of the students were being traced and more cases could be reported.

"This is a statewide trend and we do not want to compromise with the health of the students which is why the state government has decided to close all schools and colleges," he said.