After Karnataka reopened its school on January 1, many teachers are said to have tested positive for COVID-19. As many as 166 teachers in government, as well as private schools, are tested positive for COVID in Karnataka, according to the information released by the Primary and Secondary Education Minister, Suresh Kumar S. The data shows that Uttara Kannada, Chikkamagaluru and Belagavi have highest number of positive cases among teachers. Atleast 20 teachers have been tested positive for COVID-19 in Uttara Kannada region, 18 teachers in Belagavi and 15 teachers in Chikkamagaluru
Meanwhile. two teachers in Bengaluru rural, four cases in Bengaluru North, four in Bengaluru South, 11 in Chamrajanagara, nine teachers in Chitradurga, four in Dakshina Kannada, three cases in Davangere, 11 cases in Gagag, nine cases in Haveri, eight in Kalaburgi, one in Koppala, seven in Mandya, 11 in Mysuru, 11 in Shivamogga, 11 in Tumakuru, four in Udupi, one in Vijayapura and two in Yadagiri taking the total to 166.
Here are the list of events from Day 1:
On January 2, at least ten teachers were tested positive for COVID-19. While nine teachers were from Gadag, one was from Hubballi. GM Basavalingappa, Deputy Director of Public Instructions, Gadag, had told that these teachers were from five different schools — Loyola High School, C S Patil Boys High School, Moral Kannada Medium Primary and High School, St John's High and a Government High School in Naragund. All these schools were sanitised and are closed until they receive strict instructions from the health department.
Similarly, on January 3, six more teachers' COVID test result turned out to be positive. Two of them who tested positive were from the Kuruvatti government high school and a private school in Haveri district respectively. Another two teachers of higher primary school in Mudigere in Chikkamagaluru district and two teachers of a private school in Kalasa town also tested positive. This took the total tally to 16 teachers in just three days. Owing to this, Suresh Kumar S, Primary and Secondary Education Minister, had instructed to reopen these particular schools only after 10 days.
On January 5, 22 high school teachers from Belagavi and Chikkodi were tested positive for COVID-19. However, according to the Deputy Director of Public Instructions, these teachers were already put into home quarantine and have not come in contact with school children or other teachers. Even though there was no threat of infection among others, this took the total tally to 38.
A B Pundalik, DDPI, Belagavi, said, "All the teachers had undergone RTPCR tests as per the instructions from the government even before the schools reopened. We had already instructed teachers who had symptoms not to attend schools. Only those teachers who were tested negative have been conducting the regular classes and Vidyagama for students."
He also informed that among those who tested positive for COVID-19, 10 are from Belagavi Rural, four teachers are from Belagavi city, three from Ramdurg and one from Kittur. Similarly, two teachers from Hukkeri and two from Ratbag have also tested positive. Since the teachers were already at home and did not attend schools, the schools will continue to function normally.
Besides them, four teachers and a second division assistant were tested positive in Chitradurga leading to the shut down of a total of seven schools. Another teacher was tested positive in Vijayapura. The teacher is believed to be asymptomatic. Like other schools, this school was also sanitised and closed.
