Sindh schools to conduct Covid tests of children

The port city is witnessing a alarming surge in coronavirus cases during the fifth Covid-19 wave fuelled by Omicron variant with positivity rate exceeds 39 per cent in the metropolis during the last 24 hours.

Out of 15,172 people who were tested for coronavirus, 2,670 came out positive in Sindh, according to the latest figures issued on Sunday.

The city's positivity rate has increased by 4% in a single day and Sindh's Covid-19 death toll reached 7,697 after three more patients succumbed to the virus during the past 24 hours.

Meanwhile, the Sindh health department has decided to conduct random coronavirus testing of students across all schools of the province.

The provincial health department has also issued directives to district health officers (DHO) in this regard via notification, according to Express News. The notification stated that 100 samples will be collected from schools in each district of the province which will be sent to Dow Hospital laboratory to check disease prevalence.

Based on the results, the provincial government will take final decision regarding closure of educational institutions.

The letter issued by Sindh Health Department to all District Health Officers stated that samples of children between the ages of 12 and 18 will be collected from schools in each district and sent to Dow University of Health Sciences Hospital's coronavirus lab.

The health department will inform the Sindh Task Force about the results after the coronavirus test. The decision to keep the school closed or open will be made at a meeting of the Corona Task Force in view of the increasing rate of coronavirus cases.

Read More: WHO recommends Covid tests in schools

The Sindh Health Department also directed all DHOs to make coronavirus vaccination of students compulsory in schools and to inform the health department about the target data achieved.

Task Force sees situation under control

A day earlier, the Provincial Taskforce on Coronavirus meeting, chaired by Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah was informed that infection rate had increased to 35.3% in Karachi, 5.12% in Hyderabad and 2.4% in the rest of the province. However, it was assured that the situation remained under control.

The health department informed the meeting that at present, there was no pressure on the hospitals while Covid-19 patients were recovering fast and the death rate had fallen to 1.6%. CM Murad directed for an audit of all the public and private hospitals to assess their facilities like beds, doctors, medicines etc.

The chief minister also directed the health department for the Covid-19 preparation plan so that necessary and timely measures could be taken. He added that he would review the Covid situation again within the next few days so that necessary decisions could be taken accordingly.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 17, 2022.