Image by fernando zhiminaicela from Pixabay
Bengaluru: As many as 51 government school teachers and four students tested positive for COVID-19 after schools across Karnataka reopened on January 2.
According to the Primary and Secondary Education Department officials, information on the total number of teachers and students who tested positive after reopening schools so far is being gathered. The number could be much higher, they said, adding that all the schools where the teachers tested positive have been closed for three days.
In Belagavi, as many as 22 teachers tested positive and are under home quarantine. While 21 of the 22 teachers tested positive for the COVID-19 tests performed before the schools reopened, one teacher tested positive after the fact.
In Hassan, 10 teachers tested positive and seven schools in the district have been shut down so far. Officials will take a call on whether or not to reopen the schools, Hassan Deputy Commissioner R Girish said.
Six teachers and one school assistant in the Chitradurga district tested positive for the virus and seven schools were closed as a result. District Deputy Commissioner Kavita Mannikeri said that these schools have been sanitised.
As many as ten teachers in the Gadag district, five teachers in Chikkamagaluru, and two teachers in the Koppal district tested positive for COVID-19. Meanwhile, four students in the Chikkamagaluru district, who attended schools in the Mudigere, Kadur and Chikkamagaluru towns, also tested positive.
Health minister Dr K Sudhakar told the media that the state government is monitoring the situation and is working towards ensuring that the students are not at risk of contracting COVID-19. He added that there is no need to panic and that arrangements have been made to ensure taht students who tested positive get good treatment if necessary.
“We must also consider the need for the academic progress of the students. We are gathering the details of how many teachers and students have tested positive and I request everyone to not spread rumours,” he added.
