Six students at a government school in the Hoshiarpur district of Punjab have tested positive for COVID-19 on August 11, according to a government official.
Government High School, Jaja, will now remain closed till August 15, according to District Education Officer (Secondary) Gursharn Singh, who added that the shutdown might be prolonged if the deputy commissioner orders it.
According to the official, three students from Class 7, two from Class 10, and one from Class 9 tested positive for coronavirus infection.
The Health Department gathered samples from all of the school students and 13 teachers. Besides, the entire school building is being sanitised, according to the official.
Staff and students at all government schools in the district, according to the official, are rigorously following the COVID-19 safety protocols.
Over twenty students from two government schools in Ludhiana had tested positive for Covid-19 earlier.
As over 26 students from schools have tested positive for the virus just days after the schools reopened for offline classes, the Punjab government has decided to boost the number of Covid-19 testing.
From August 2, the Punjab government reopened the state's schools.
The chief secretary further requested that deputy commissioners ensure that only fully vaccinated staff members are permitted to work in the schools. Chief Secretary Mahajan asked the departments involved to increase RT-PCR testing since the state's target of 40,000 samples per day must be met.
Apart from Punjab, schools in neighbouring states have also recorded positive cases among students. In the last week, several students from Haryana and Himachal Pradesh have tested positive for the infection.
In the last two weeks, 62 students in Himachal Pradesh have tested positive for Covid-19. Himachal Pradesh's administration has decided to close schools in many areas as a preventative measure.