GUJRAT: With three schools sealed on Monday, total 10 schools have been shut by the administrations in Gujrat and Jhelum districts so far after some teachers as well as students tested positive for the coronavirus there, as the area witnessed a spike in such cases.

Of these 10 schools, six were sealed in Jhelum and four in Gujrat district so far.

In Gujrat, at least 38 new cases, mostly students, have been reported in the last 24 hours, showing an alarming rise in the positive cases.

The teachers and students testing positive mostly belong to private schools.

As per local health department officials, currently there are total 143 positive cases in Gujrat district.

Jhelum Deputy Commissioner Rao Pervez Akhtar told Dawn by telephone that the administration had so far sealed at least six schools, all government-run institutions, after five teachers and some students tested positive for the virus there.

He said in case of a teacher testing positive, the administration sealed the school for at least five days and if less than five students got infected their classrooms were being sealed. He said the classrooms were reopened after proper disinfection of the space and furniture.

He said so far 17 people had tested positive in Jhelum district, out of which 15 were isolated at their homes and two others were admitted to Corona Ward of the district headquarter hospital.

Gujrat Deputy Commissioner Saif Anwar Jappa said at least 18 students of four schools of the city -- three private institutes and a special education school -- had tested positive. He said all the concerned schools were sealed on Monday for a week, while the fourth was sealed during the last week.

He said the schools were opened on Monday just to take samples of the contacts of the affected students, and from Tuesday these schools would remain closed.

Official sources said though the administration had accelerated the daily screening in Gujrat district, random sampling was yet to be conducted at some schools having a large number of students, such as the Jinnah Public School and another located along old GT road near Kathala.

Published in Dawn, November 3rd, 2020