Karnataka ready to shut schools, colleges to arrest Covid case spike

The Karnataka government is planning to shut schools and colleges in the wake of the sudden spike in Covid-19 cases in parts of the state.

Primary and Secondary Education minister BC Nagesh on Monday sounded the caution as the government is facing a threat due to the Covid-19 clusters in the state and the newly found variant Omicron which has been detected in two patients in Bengaluru.

Schools have recently become clusters for Covid-19 in Karnataka, forcing the government to rethink its move to revive on-site classes.

Talking to media persons, Nagesh said that the safety of kids is the most important thing for the government.

“Our top priority would be the well being of the kids. If the situation turns worse, we are ready to shut down schools,” he said.

Also read: Is Karnataka heading for lockdown amid spike in clusters? What CM says

He however clarified that the government is considering alternative ways of holding classes.

“As of now, there is no such fear and even parents need not panic. In fact, during examinations, we adopt stringent Covid protocols as it is known that we allow only one student per desk,” he said.

The minister said he would visit some schools to get a first-hand idea of the issues faced due to the pandemic. He has also sought a report. “We are even thinking of issuing a separate advisory to residential schools,” he revealed.

On Sunday, 59 students and staffers at Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya in Koppa taluk of Chikkamagaluru were detected to have Covid-19. The number rose to 107 on Monday. All the patients are under medical care by a team of doctors. All the students are asymptomatic.