Chennai, Oct 8 (IANS): The Tamil Nadu state health department has taken measures to report immediately on the Covid-19 positive cases being reported in schools. This was after a private school in Coonoor shut down following eight students and one teacher testing positive.

Coonoor is a high-altitude station in Tamil Nadu and is home to several prestigious private schools. The closing down of the private school has led to the state health department planning periodical examination and checks in all schools. In the Coonoor school, Covid-19 tests were conducted on all the 592 people on the campus, and eight students and a teacher were detected positive.

The district health officers are being alerted and a communique to this effect has already been forwarded to all the District health officers to conduct inspection and check-in schools in their respective districts with the support of the district education department.

Sources in the state health department told IANS that the government does not want any loopholes regarding the Covid-19 detection and take even minor risks as schools for all other classes are scheduled to be opened from November 1.

The State Health Minister, Ma Subramanian while speaking to IANS said, "We have directed all the district health department officials to be on alert regarding school children, teachers, and support staff testing positive. The health department does not want to spoil the good work that we have done with the relentless efforts of the Chief Minister and the officials concerned."

The state health department has already inoculated five crore people and with a 70 per cent sero survey report, was heaving a sigh of relief. However, with the school students and teacher-testing positive, the state health department is not leaving any chance and is conducting inspections and testing if some cases are reported in districts, said an official.