Five girl students contract Covid-19 at primary school

Within two weeks of the reopening of schools in the country, five students of fourth and fifth grades have tested positive for Covid-19 at a primary school in Thakurgaon sadar upazila, reports UNB.

This has prompted the authorities to suspend all classes of fourth and fifth grades at Bahadurpara Government Primary School in Thakurgaon sadar upazila with effect from Thursday.

Headmistress of the school, Farhana Parvin, said that samples of the five girl students -- two studying in class-IV and three in class-V -- were sent for Covid-19 test on Monday. The results came a day later.

“All the five students have been staying at a government orphanage, Thakurgaon Government Shishu Poribar (girls). Of them, three are aged between 10 and 12 years,” she said.

“Following a verbal direction from the higher authorities, we have suspended all classes of IV and V grades,” she added.

There are 426 students in the school and of them, 84 are in fourth grade and 74 in fifth grade.

The deputy administrator of the orphanage said that a student of Hajipara Adarsha High School had fever and cold on 17 September. “Later, these five students also had fever and cold.”

From Monday to Wednesday, samples of some 25 girls staying in the orphanage were sent for Covid test and 13 of them came out positive, including the five students of Bahadurpara school, she said.

Resident medical officer of Thakurgaon Modern Sadar Hospital Rakibul Alam Chayan said the 13 girls are being treated in isolation wards. “They are doing well.”

Assistant education officer of the upazila, Momtaz Ferdous said, “We have suspended the classes of fourth and fifth grades at Bahadurpara school for a week.”

Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Abdullah Al Mamun said, “We are keeping a vigil on all students attending schools across the upazila.”

Earlier, on 12 September, after nearly 18 months, primary, secondary, and higher secondary schools in Bangladesh reopened with some Covid-safety protocols in place.