A residential school in Bengaluru has become a COVID-19 cluster after 60 of its nearly 500 students tested positive. Two were found to be symptomatic and also the school has been shut till October 20.
Bengaluru (Urban) District Collector J Manjunath told press association ANI the symptomatic students had been admitted to hospital and also the rest quarantined at a correct medical facility.
Worried parents and guardians have called asking if they’ll take their children back home, but Mr Manjunath had stressed “there is not any cause for worry”.
“This may be a private school… students were there for one month. once they came to the college, they’d no symptoms. Out of the 60 who tested positive (on Sunday evening) only two are symptomatic. Our team is there… we’ve got tested everyone,” he said.
Mr Manjunath said 105 RAT (rapid antigen tests, the less reliable kind) and 424 RT-PCR (considered the more accurate COVID-19 test) had been meted out, which a team of medical and officialdom had been stationed at the quarantine centre housing the scholars.
“We’ll conduct a re-test on the seventh day. the college has been closed till October 20. there’s no cause for worry, this is often a proactive measure,” he added.
Of the scholars who tested positive, 14 were from Tamil Nadu and therefore the rest from Karnataka.
One of the scholars had complained of vomiting and diarrhoea, after which a test was conducted.
On that student testing positive for the virus, COVID-19 tests were conducted for the full school, including teaching and non-teaching staff, who number around 60.
“The children are infected… so, at the behest of the varsity, we are taking our kids home,” Shankar, a guardian of 1 of the scholars, told NDTV.
“I am going back to Bengaluru… 60 students are infected here. i’ll be back on October 20,” a category 12 student said.
Karnataka recently allowed schools to open for in-person classes for sophistication 6 to Class 8, while requiring students and staff to follow strict COVID-19 safety protocols.
Only schools in taluks where the positivity rate is below two per cent were allowed to re-open.
Under the new rules students had to submit a consent letter from parents or guardians to attend the in-person classes, and these weren’t compulsory since online classes still be held.
In-person classes for college students from Class 9 to Class 12 had been allowed from August 23, and every one in-person classes from Class 6 onwards will be held at full strength.
Karnataka on Wednesday morning reported 629 new Covid cases within the previous 24 hours, taking the active caseload to a bit over 12,600. The positivity rate within the state is around .67 per cent.
