The Democratic Students’ Alliance of Manipur (DESAM) has urged the authority concerned to create a new standard operating procedure (SOP) for students who are going to appear in the class 10 and 12 offline examination, to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
DESAM secretary general Mayengbam Somorjit Luwang told media at its head office located at Kwakeithel, Imphal West on Saturday that the state government has launched the vaccination programme for the age group 15-18 from January 3 onwards. However, most of the students from the age 15-18 are yet to get the vaccine.
With the coming of the third wave of COVID-19 in the state, the positivity rate has been increasing and it is reported that 578 were tested positive on Friday with a positivity rate of 19.3 per cent, he added.
He said if necessary precautionary measures are not taken in time, then students of class 10,11 and 12 who are appearing for pre-board and pre-council examination at their respective schools have the possibility of getting infected with COVID-19.
Somorjit said most of the students are still unvaccinated and if proper SOP is not maintained then the students may get infected. He said as per a reliable source, in 2022, 199 persons from age group 15-18 were tested positive and most of them could be students. It is also reported in the media on Saturday’s publication that 107 students of Central Agricultural University were tested positive.
He appealed to the state government to create a new SOP especially for the students who are attending offline classes and who are yet to get the vaccine. The parents and guardians should also cooperate with the initiatives of the state government for vaccination programme from age group 15-18, he added.
