Assam has been reporting more cases of children being tested with COVID-19. On Monday, 11 kids at a children's home in Tezpur have tested positive for the infection. Six staff members have also tested positive for the virus at the Tezpur facility. All the 17 people have been shifted to Tezpur Medical College and Hospital (TMCH) where their condition is stable, said officials.
The administration has declared the home, belonging to the Missionaries of Charity as Containment Zone.
According to officials, three children have tested positive for virus earlier at the same shelter home.
As many 259 children of Sonitpur district in Assam have been infected with COVID-19, one of whom succumbed to the disease, during the second wave of the pandemic, the district's Joint Director of Health J Ahmed said.
Meanwhile, Assam State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (ASCPCR) member Rupa Hazarika visited TMCH and enquired about the condition of the 11 children, who had tested positive for the viral infection on Saturday.
She also held a meeting with the Sonitpur Deputy Commissioner, additional deputy commissioners, District Children Protection Officer (DCPO), chairperson, and members of Child Welfare Committee (CWC) and Juvenile Justice Board, to ascertain the measures being taken for the care of the affected children.
She emphasised the need for the availability of necessary infrastructure in hospitals to tackle the further spread of coronavirus among children.
The district authorities assured the ASCPCR member that all possible measures have been taken for the treatment of the children.
There are media reports that some more children have been infected with COVID-19 in other districts in Assam, including Nagaon, Jorhat, and Dibrugarh, Hazarika said.
According to reports, 8 children have been admitted to the Gauhati Medical College and Hospital (GMCH), 2 at Nemcare Hospital while in Nagaon 30 children have been infected with the virus.
The situation of children being infected with the virus is very alarming as studies by different organizations and experts say that children are more vulnerable in the third wave of the pandemic.