As education institutes close in Telangana, bus stands see huge rush

HYDERABAD: As Telangana shut schools and colleges amid fears of a resurgence of Covid-19 infections, students in large numbers headed back to their hometowns on Wednesday. Bus terminals in the city saw a huge rush of students and their parents, sparking fears that they could be carrying the virus to their hometowns. 

It may be mentioned here that a number of Covid cases were reported from residential schools and hostels in the recent days. According to Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (TSRTC) officials, the two major bus terminals in the city, Jubliee Bus Station and Mahatma Gandhi Bus Station, witnessed over 10 per cent increase in passenger footfall by Wednesday afternoon. The officials also said that as most buses were running to full capacity, they had to ply additional buses on some routes.

At present, the Health Department is only tracking students from institutions where positive cases have been detected. “It is not possible to track all students who are returning home. Ideally, if possible, it would have been better to conduct Covid tests before sending them back to their respective homes. However, we will send our field staff to sensitise the community to ensure the children isolate themselves in case they have any symptoms,” said a district health official.