The essence and focus should have been on reopening of schools with safety! The objective of the Task force seems to be merely to open schools.
The Task Force, DOE, Collectors should have been working on the ground level by now. Commence a pilot run with a small, medium and large school, by starting classes for a few standards. Iron out all the lacunae, put the signature of the Collectors to paper and invite other schools to study the same.The WHO chief has said schools cannot wait for complete vaccinations to start: but start classes outdoors or in well ventilated classes. Ventilation is key.
Is there a risk with the way the govt plans to open all classes on Nov 22? Is there a risk to life or limb, for a two-wheeler rider with no helmet? Risk assessment and mitigation measures are key. We are working backwards: there are less positive cases in Goa so we can open. Emphasis must be on the virus characteristics. Goa sees around 20 positive cases a day. If one such case mingles with a school crowd of 1,000 students: what will happen?
Schools must be provided with self-test kits and required training for their use.
