Karnataka school shut after 33 students test positive for COVID-19
As many as 33 students of a boarding school in Karnataka have tested positive for the coronavirus. The incident took place at the Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya in Galibeedu village situated in Kodagu district of the state. Ten of the students are symptomatic while 22 are not showing any symptoms. The school has since been declared a containment zone and shut.
Why does it matter?
The fresh COVID-19 cluster has raised concerns about the reopening of schools across the country. The Karnataka government had gradually reopened physical classes in all the districts after a drop in coronavirus tally in the recent weeks. In fact, the Delhi government had just yesterday announced the reopening of schools for all classes starting from Monday, November 1.
Tests were conducted after 2 tested positive
Recently, two students showed symptoms of COVID-19 and later tested positive. Around 270 Class 10 students were then tested for the virus and 33 of them were diagnosed on Wednesday. The positivity rate in the district rose to 1.21% after the new cluster was reported. Last month, two students had tested positive soon after the reopening of the Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya on September 20.
School campus has been sanitized
Pankajashan, the principal of the school, said none of the students are critical. "Their condition is improving; there is nothing to worry about. The entire campus has been sanitized and other precautionary measures are being taken," the principal told NDTV. The District Collector, District Health Officer, and other officials also reportedly visited the school on Thursday to review the situation.
A major cluster was reported last month
In September, at least 60 students from a Bengaluru boarding school had tested positive for COVID-19. The school was then shut for several weeks. Karnataka on Wednesday reported 282 fresh coronavirus cases and 13 deaths, taking the caseload and death toll to 29,86,835 and 38,037 respectively. Active cases stand at over 8,400, according to the state health department.
