Panic has gripped parents of a private school in Noida, which has now declared a three-day closure, after it emerged that the children of the Delhi man diagnosed infected by the novel Coronavirus study in the school.

The two children of the patient did not attend school on Monday. On Sunday evening, WhatsApp groups of parents of the school students began buzzing with messages about the possible case, said a parent who did not want to be named. This led to them taking precautionary measures and a majority of the students did not attend school on Monday. About 100 students went to school though, added the same parent.

The school has declared a holiday from today and a decision has been taken to give three days’ off to everyone at school, said a person in the school management familiar with the matter.

The school authorities couldn’t be contacted for an official response and nobody responded on their board landline number.

But the school sent a message to the parents on Tuesday morning.

“Due to certain unavoidable circumstances we will be postponing the exams scheduled for today. The new dates will be communicated shortly. The Board exams will continue as normal. The children of classes 7-11 may come for extra classes if they wish. Class 6 and IGCSE classes continue with the study leave.”

The Chief medical officer of Gautam Budh Nagar said, “We are sending a surveillance team to the school and will carry on sanitation activities in school premises. We will also be meeting parents,” said Dr Anurag Bhargava, CMO, GB Manager.