-Lokesh urges CM to shut down schools
-Don’t aggravate Covid third wave in AP
-Other States already closed down schools
-Most AP students not vaccinated yet
-Fatal threat to elders in students’ homes
AMARAVATI: TDP National General Secretary Nara Lokesh on Monday urged Chief Minister Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy for closure of schools to prevent the rising Coronavirus threat to lakhs of innocent students in the State.
Lokesh wrote a letter to the Chief Minister, stressing the need for strong preventive measures since most school students were yet to be vaccinated. All possible steps should be taken to prevent the Covid-19 third wave from taking a severe form in Andhra Pradesh.
Expressing serious concern, Lokesh said: “I bring to your urgent notice the need to shut down schools in Andhra Pradesh in view of rising Covid-19 cases this past two weeks across
India and in the state. Our neighbouring states Telangana and Tamil Nadu have already passed orders closing schools and physical classes till the end of January. Kerala has also closed its schools for two weeks starting January 21.”
Nara Lokesh told the CM that as it was well aware, a majority of the students were unvaccinated. Vaccine trials and announcements for beginning immunization for under-15 were being undertaken only in the last few months. It is imperative that we do not willingly expose these students to any kind of risk.
Lokesh pointed out that even though fatality rates among students were extremely low, the same cannot be said in respect of the elders in their households. “This was also the same basis on which I urged your government to cancel board exams last year during the second wave of Covid-19. We must not allow our own students, most of whom are unvaccinated, to become the victims of a third wave now.”
Lokesh told the CM that by now, it must be obvious to the state government that the pandemic has affected most countries through multiple waves. We must have innovated new ways to tackle subsequent waves by now. This would have ensured that the students’ academic progress was not interrupted while also taking care of public health concerns.
The TDP MLC expressed concern that in the past 10 days, new cases recorded in AP have ballooned from 500 to 5000 per day. AP’s test positivity rate has also gone past 10%. It would be callous of the government to resume classes for students now, with no precautions taken or vaccination not done for most of the students.
Nara Lokesh said further delay on this front will affect millions of lives, not just those of students, all across the state. We must not willingly create conditions for a severe third wave to overwhelm our public health facilities. If no action is forthcoming, the Telugu Desam Party will once again begin a mass movement to ensure lives of students and people are protected.
