School openings must avoid indoor gatherings, says WHO Chief Scientist Dr Soumya Swaminathan

As schools have begun to reopen in India after the COVID-19 hiatus, the World Health Organization (WHO) Chief Scientist Dr Soumya Swaminathan on Tuesday (August 10, 2021) warned that they must avoid indoor gatherings.

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Dr Swaminathan said that school openings must be prioritized with distancing, masking, avoiding indoor singing and gatherings, hand hygiene and vaccination of all adults. 

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The top WHO scientist also said that the impact on children's mental, physical and cognitive wellbeing will last a long time. 

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Dr Soumya Swaminathan had recently also said that there is no scientific evidence for anxiety that the third wave of COVID-19 will target children. 

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This is to be noted that several states and union territories have either reopened or have planned to reopen schools this month. 

Earlier on Tuesday, the NITI Aayog member Dr VK Paul informed that nearly 50 per cent of teachers across India have been vaccinated against COVID-19. 

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Last week, Dr Soumya Swaminathan had also cautioned people against lowering their guard against COVID-19 and had also urged them to strictly follow COVID-appropriate protocols for another six months.

The WHO chief scientist had said, "I know everybody is tired, everyone wants to meet their family, organise parties. But this is not the time to let down your guard. Let's be careful for another six months. By then, if the vaccination coverage is very high, then things should definitely start improving."

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