Pune Mayor Murlidhar Mohol has said they don't intend to rush into any decision to restart schools. (Representational Image) WITH NEARLY 6,000 children in home isolation in PMC and PCMC areas, the Pune district administration said it will have to consider the caseload before taking a decision to reopen schools even as Pimpri-Chinchwad mayor has directed PCMC administration not to permit reopening of schools.
“In Pune, Covid-19 cases are rising sharply…We will have to consider the caseload before taking any decision to restart the schools,” Pune district colllector Rajesh Deshmukh said on Friday, indicating that schools might not reopen in Pune from January 24, the date allowed by the state government.
“The final call regarding restarting the schools will be taken at Saturday’s district review meeting. We will take into account whether it is necessary to restart the schools or wait for some time. Last year, the cases had started rising from second week of February,” he said.
An official at the Collectorate said, “Instead of rushing into restarting the schools, it would be prudent to wait for a week or so before taking the final decision.”
Minister Varsha Gaikwad, too, had said the local administration should take a decision based on the caseload. “She had said that schools can be restarted if cases are not rising in a particular area,” said the official.
On Thursday, Pune Mayor Murlidhar Mohol had said that with Covid-19 cases rising in the city over the last two weeks, the authorities don’t intend to rush into any decision to restart the schools. “In the current Covid wave, around 3,000 children (in PMC areas) have been affected. While a majority of them are in home isolation, at least a 100 have been hospitalised as they have mild to moderate symptoms. We will take these factors into consideration at the district review meeting to be held on Saturday where the final call will be taken,” he said. The mayor said he will also discuss the issue with parents’ associations and Task Force experts.
While PMC areas have seen 3,000 children being affected with Covid-19 in the current wave, Pimpri-Chinchwad has seen 3,010 cases in barely 20 days. Most of them are in home isolation.
In the evening, Pimpri mayor Mai Dhore directed PCMC administration not to allow reopening of the schools in the industrial city. “I have directed the civic administration not to permit reopening of schools. When PCMC areas are registering more than 3,000 cases daily and kids are also getting affected, there is no point in rushing with opening of schools,” she told the Indian Express.
Dr Sunita Salve, in-charge of PCMC’s (Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation) Jijamata Hospital, which has been exclusively reserved for children, said, “We had some 55 children admitted to the hospital. Now only four remain. None of the children had any severe symptoms that required oxygen support.”
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