34 school students test positive for COVID-19 in Chennai

Health Minister calls on them

Photo used for representational purposes only. File

A total of 34 school students who were undergoing a residential training programme at the Greater Chennai Corporation-run Model School at Saidapet have tested positive for COVID-19.

All of them remained mildly symptomatic or asymptomatic, officials said.

While one girl, who was anaemic, was taken to hospital as a precautionary measure, another girl was taken to a private hospital by her parents. The remaining 32 have been admitted to the COVID-19 care centre at Injambakkam, said a senior official of the Corporation.

Of the 34 students who were in Class 12, there were 24 boys and 10 girls. They were from different city schools and staying at the school’s hostel for the programme. All of them were tested after one of the boys, who developed fever, tested positive, the official said.

Preparations for NEET

The official said they were part of a programme run by the School Education Department at select schools across Tamil Nadu to prepare the students for competitive examinations, including NEET.

Health Minister Ma. Subramanian, Sholinganallur MLA S. Aravind Ramesh and Health Secretary J. Radhakrishnan visited the students at the COVID-19 care centres and enquired about their health.

The Minister said the students were doing well and the Greater Chennai Corporation was taking care of their needs.