‘Covid rules in schools after winter’

Bhubaneswar will reopen with new guidelines in the new year in light of the new variant of the virus, omicron, triggering a massive surge in some countries. The health department has issued an advisory, and that is enough to take the precaution of wearing one. Moreover, children have not taken any vaccines. Epidemiologists and pulmonologists felt that schoolchildren were the carriers of the virus, and they were going to school and infecting others back home. Schools had opened in April, but the fourth wave hit after three months. The government hospitals, including that of three medical colleges across the state, will conduct mock drills to ensure operational readiness to tackle a possible surge. Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik will review the preparedness he is likely to interact with the chief district medical officers, heads of medical colleges, health experts, and doctors from community medicines and health administrators. Dr. Jayant Panda, Professor of Medicine at the SCB Medical College and Hospital, said a rehearsal will be conducted across the three medical college hospitals, capital hospital Bhubaneswar, and all district headquarters hospitals to see readiness in terms of oxygen supply, general ICU and HDU beds, investigation units, and drug inventory. Director of Health Services Bijay Moh