Schools in Chitwan, Kanchanpur closed

• Principal, his wife test positive for COVID-19 in Kanchanpur's school
• Nine local businesspersons and a returnee from India diagnosed with COVID-19 in Kanchanpur's Bhimdatta Municipality
• Coronavirus detected among students, teachers and staff in four schools of Chitwan
• A total of 22 persons detected with coronavirus infection in Chitwan
• Schools in Chitwan closed for two days
• Chitwan's municipal level meeting decides to conduct and conclude the final-term examination by mid-May

A school in Mahendranagar of Kanchanpur district has been shut down as one of the teachers at the school was diagnosed with COVID-19.

Bhrikuti Secondary School has been closed as principal at the school, Birendra Prasad Bhattarai tested positive for COVID-19.

The principal's wife has also tested positive for the coronavirus infection.

Meanwhile, the principal has urged all teachers and students who came in contact with him to undergo the test for the novel coronavirus.

It has been reported that 16 other teachers who underwent antigen test have tested negative for the virus.

Likewise, nine of the local businesspersons of Brahmadev in Bhimdatta Municipality in the district have tested positive for the infection.

Chief at District Health Office, Shivaraj Sunar informed that nine businesspersons and another one who has recently returned from India have been diagnosed with COVID-19.

Meanwhile, it has been reported that the coronavirus has been detected in four schools in Chitwan district.

Some of the students and staff at Narayani Model Secondary School, Gunjanagar Secondary school and Valmeeki Siskha Sadan in Bharatpur Metropolitan City were diagnosed with COVID-19 while teachers at National Basic School, Ranikhola in Ichchhakama Rural Municipality also tested positive for the novel coronavirus.

Chief at Bharatpur's Education Directorate Mahendra Poudel was quoted in Rastriya Samachar Samiti as saying that Valmeeki Siksaha Sadan was closed for two days after a student at grade X was diagnosed with COVID-19. The school has been closed for two days since Sunday while three other schools in the district have been resumed maintaining strict health protocols.

It has been learnt that two students at Gunjannagar School and an accountant at Narayani Model School,  and two teachers at Ichchhakamana based school tested positive for the respiratory contagion, Education Development and Coordination Unit chief Bhumi Lal Subedi informed. In terror of the risk of transmission of the viral disease, many guardians have stopped sending their children to the schools in Chitwan.

Meanwhile, a municipal-level meeting held in presence of the education section chief, Education Development and Coordination Unit chief and Chief District Officer Prem Lal Lamichhane decided to conduct and conclude the final term examination by mid-May, Subedi informed.

Meanwhile, the authorities have been holding a meeting with Private and Boarding Schools' Organisation Nepal (PABSON) in this regard.

A total of 22 persons including students and staff at four schools in the district were diagnosed with COVID-19 in the district.

Previously, on Friday, the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology issued a directive to all educational institutes in the country to strictly adopt health protocols and to close for a week if any student or staff tested positive for novel coronavirus. 

(With inputs from RSS)