Kerala Health Minister KK Shailaja said today that school-going children might have to wear masks in the next academic session in the state while adding the practice had become the norm for school students in several countries. According to the minister, the mask rule will not go on endlessly, but as precaution against the coronavirus infection, children may need to wear masks in the next academic session.
"It's a good culture. We will have to follow it in Kerala as well, if COVID-19 prevails till the time of school reopening. Masks helped us lower the rate of COVID-19 spread and resultant deaths. Kerala has been battling the disease, earning good results," Outlook quoted the Minister as saying.
Schools in the state have been shut till May last for the summer holiday and according to reports, the administration is currently working on a new schedule to fix the school reopening dates.
The state is yet to conclude its annual secondary and higher secondary - SSLC and Plus Two - examinations which were postponed due to the spread of coronavirus cases.
Meanwhile, in a day of much relief to the state, no fresh case of COVID-19 was confirmed in Kerala today, informed Ms Shailaja in a press release.
One more patient has recovered from the Coronavirus infection in the state today. A native of Kasargod who was under treatment in Kannur district has tested negative today.
The total number of recovered cases in Kerala is 401 and 95 patients are still under treatment in different hospitals in the State.
There are 21,720 persons are under surveillance in different districts across the state - 21,332 under observation at their homes and 388 quarantined in hospitals. 63 people were hospitalised today, the release said.
Till now, 32,217 samples have been sent for testing and the results of 31,611 samples have shown no infection.
As part of sentinel surveillance, the release also added that, 2,391 samples were collected separately from people in the high-risk group - healthcare workers, migrant labourers and those with higher public contacts, and tested. Out of these, 1,683 samples have tested negative.
Four new places in the State were declared as hotspots today - one each in Wayanad and Idukki district, and two in Ernakulam district. Presently, there are 84 hotspots in Kerala.
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