As the COVID test positivity rate has arrived at 1.4 per cent in the last three days in the Udupi district, it has been decided to open offline classes for students from Class 9 to Class 12 starting from September 1, announced Minister V Sunil Kumar here on Monday.

Speaking to reporters, he said that the teachers and the lecturers taking the offline classes from September 1 should have taken at least the first dose of the vaccine. He said that as the offline classes will begin from September 1, the educational institutions should make sure that COVID guidelines are strictly followed. The state government had permitted to reopen classes from grade 9 to second PU from August 23. But it was postponed in three districts including Udupi as the positivity rate was more than 2 per cent then.

Regarding the celebration of the Ganesha Chathurthi festival, Sunil Kumar said that it is everybody's wish that the festival should be celebrated with all fun and frolic and there are appeals by the people to allow the same. ''I too consider the demand of the people to celebrate Ganesha Chathurthi in full spirit is legitimate and valid, however, the priority of the government will always be to safeguard the health of the people. So in this backdrop, the guidelines issued by the central government and the experts, will have to be strictly followed and the people should cooperate," he said.