575 students, 829 teachers test COVID-19 positive after schools reopen in Andhra, govt says 'not alarming'

Even as Karnataka draws inspirations and studies the Andhra model to reopen schools and colleges in the state, shocking data of Covid-19 cases among students and teachers will definately make it rethink whether to work on the same model.

In a shocker, at least 575 students and 829 teachers tested positive for COVID-19 in Andhra Pradesh after the state government reopened schools from November 2 for classes 9, 10 and intermediate.

However Commissioner of School Education, V Chinna Veerabhadrudu does not believe that the figure is alarming when compared to the number of students attending the schools.

As per the Andhra Pradesh education department's data, there are 9.75 lakh students registered for Class 9 and 10 in the state out of which 3.93 lakh attended, out of 1.11 lakh teachers, over 99,000 thousand attended the educational institutions on Wednesday.

Veerabhadrudu further assured that every care is being taken to ensure COVID-19 safety protocols are in place in every institution.

Speaking to PTI, he said, 'Yesterday (November 4) around four lakh students attended schools. There were 262 positive cases. It is not even 0.1 per cent. It is not correct to say that they were affected due to their attendance to schools. We ensure that each school room has only 15 or 16 students.'

He added, 'Lives of both students and teachers are important for us.' According to Veerabhadrudu, the attendance of students to schools was hovering about 40 per cent as parents are still apprehensive of the killer virus despite tight measures being taken by the government.

As per the new guidelines by Andhra Pradesh government on school reopening, classes 9 and 10 and Intermediate first and second year would function on alternate days only for half-a-day.Classes 6, 7 and 8 would begin on November 23 while classes 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 would start from December 14, an official statement said earlier.

At least 575 students and 829 teachers tested positive for COVID-19 in Andhra Pradesh after the state government reopened schools from November 2 for classes 9, 10 and intermediate.

As per the Andhra Pradesh education department's data, there are 9.75 lakh students registered for Class 9 and 10 in the state out of which 3.93 lakh attended, out of 1.11 lakh teachers, over 99,000 thousand attended the educational institutions on Wednesday.

Commissioner of School Education V Chinna Veerabhadrudu said the figure is not alarming when compared to the number of students attending the schools. He further assured that every care is being taken to ensure COVID-19 safety protocols are in place in every institution.

Speaking to PTI, Veerabhadrudu said, "Yesterday (November 4) around four lakh students attended schools. There were 262 positive cases. It is not even 0.1 per cent. It is not correct to say that they were affected due to their attendance to schools. We ensure that each school room has only 15 or 16 students.''

He added, "Lives of both students and teachers are important for us." According to Veerabhadrudu, the attendance of students to schools was hovering about 40 per cent as parents are still apprehensive of the killer virus despite tight measures being taken by the government.

As per the new guidelines by Andhra Pradesh government on school reopening, classes 9 and 10 and Intermediate first and second year would function on alternate days only for half-a-day.Classes 6, 7 and 8 would begin on November 23 while classes 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 would start from December 14, an official statement said earlier.

Only two days back the Primary and Secondary Education Minister of Karnataka, S Suresh Kumar had said, 'We are seriously studying the Andhra Pradesh model for reopening of schools. Prior to taking any decision, we need to examine everything as it is a question of students' lives.'

All the educational institutions have remained closed since March when the national lockdown to contain the spread of COVID-19 was announced.