63% TS parents unwilling to send wards to school post-Omicron

Hyderabad: With the possible threat of fresh Covid cases in the wake of the Omicron variant in the country, parents in Telangana are worried about sending their children to school.

With Omicron cases being reported in Karnataka, only 37 per cent of parents are willing to send their children to school in Telangana, a survey conducted by LocalCircles revealed. 

The survey said that 52 per cent of parents were okay with sending their children whereas 43 per cent were actually sending them.

When asked about the same post-Omicron variant, 37 per cent were okay with sending their children to school, while 35 per cent agreed if more Omicron cases are reported. Nearly 22 per cent refused to send their kids to school if several Omicron cases were reported in their town or district. 

The report published by LocalCircles pointed out that 1 in 3 Indians do not wear a mask when stepping outside. As regards mask compliance, only two per cent of citizens comply well, the report said. 

To a question on how many people were wearing masks after the emergence of a new variant, eight per cent of respondents said that there is no compliance at all.

Meanwhile, experts from the state requested people to carry their Covid-19 vaccine certificates as health teams would visit public places and randomly ask people to show their certificates. This is expected to create awareness about the importance of vaccination. 

Meanwhile, LocalCircles conducted another extensive survey to understand mask compliance in India. The survey received more than 25,000 responses from citizens residing in 364 districts of India. Of it, 69 per cent respondents were men. Around 41 per cent respondents were from tier 1, 30 per cent from tier 2 and 29 per cent from tier 3, 4 and rural districts.

Telangana Data Responses - 2021

With the threat of Covid variant Omicron on horizon, what is your view on sending your children/grandchildren to school for in-person classes? (Bar Chart)

52% - Agree to send kids to school 

43% - Currently sending kids to school 

37% - Willing to send kids to school after post-Omicron  

35% - Willing to send kids to school if several Omicron cases are reported in India 

22% - Willing to send kids to school if Omicron cases are found in their district/town