A teacher at a government-aided college and a Class X student tested positive for COVID-19 in Tiruvannamalai district on Tuesday.
With this, a total of four teachers and a student have tested positive for the infection in the temple town since the reopening of educational institutions. Those who tested positive on Tuesday included a 24-year-old teacher working at a government-aided college in Somasipadi village in Kilpennathur block and a 15-year-old Class X student of a government school in Mekkalur village, around 20 km from Tiruvannamalai town.
“As per norms, institutions where cases were reported should be closed for three days for carrying out preventive measures. Hence, the school and the college concerned have been closed for the week,” R. Selvakumar, Deputy Director of Health Services, Tiruvannamalai, told The Hindu.
On Monday, a librarian and a computer science teacher at a government school in Kadaladi were found to have contracted the infection. Interestingly, the first case among students and staff of educational institutions in the district since the reopening of schools and colleges was reported last Friday, when a 38-year-old teacher from the same school in Kadaladi village tested positive for COVID-19 after developing a cold and a cough. Subsequently, five members of his family tested positive on Sunday.
Acting on directions from District Collector B. Murugesh, health officials have been carrying out contact tracing on the affected premises. Apart from this, they have been collecting samples from 700 people every day as part of preventive measures. Areas like Arunthathiyar Colony, Ethuvaipuravadai, Gandhi Nagar, Kattukulam, Kuruvikaran Puravida, Muttathu Ranpuravadai, Kothanthavadi, Erumpoondi, Kalpundi and Keekalur in Kilpennathur block are under surveillance for COVID-19 infection.
