Karnataka Primary and Secondary Education Minister BC Nagesh on Thursday, January 27 hinted at the reopening of physical classes for students of Classes 1-9 in Bengaluru. "Since COVID-19 cases in Bengaluru are coming down, I will seek an opinion in the Cabinet on reopening of schools," he said.
Physical classes for students of this age group in Bengaluru were closed as a precautionary measure before the third wave of infections. The minister also said that the government was apprehensive about schools remaining open, as Bengaluru reported a higher test positivity rate than the state average. However, as cases in the city as well as state see a marginal dip, the minister said that the education department is ready to conduct classes for children again. “The COVID-19 cases have been reported in single to four digits. However, the pattern of the increase in numbers has been fearful," BC Nagesh said. He also said that students would benefit from physical classes again, especially as exams near.
Physical classes for students between Classes 1-9 were closed from January 6, when the Karnataka government imposed a series of strict rules across the state to curb the spread of COVID-19. The decision was taken after a high-level meeting chaired by Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai. It was decided that physical classes for all educational institutions except classes 10, 11, 12, medical and paramedical would remain closed.
Initially, the restrictions were announced for two weeks. However, BC Nagesh, on January 12 confirmed that physical classes would be suspended until the end of January
Meanwhile, on Thursday, recoveries outnumbered fresh cases in Karnataka, with the state reporting 38,083 new cases. Of these, 17,717 were from Bengaluru Urban that saw 43,997 people being discharged and 12 virus-related deaths.While the positivity rate for the day stood at 20.44%, the case fatality rate (CFR) was 0.12%. Apart from Bengaluru Urban, Mysuru recorded the second highest with 2,587, Mandya 1,802,Tumakuru 1,584, Hassan 1,452, and Dharwad 1,155.