Classes 9-12 from Aug 23 in Karnataka districts with low positivity rate

BENGALURU: The government is planning to reopen schools for Classes 9 to 12 from August 23 in districts that have less than 2 per cent Covid positivity rate, said Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Saturday after a Covid review meeting.

Detailed standard operating procedures on conducting classes will be issued soon. Also, these districts will not have any Covid-related restrictions, he added. The SOP on reopening schools will specify the number of students per class and the vaccination plan for parents, teaching and non-teaching staff. If the Covidpositivity rate goes above 2 per cent, schools have to be shut for a week and reopened only after proper sanitisation, he said.

No lockdown in Bengaluru
The government is not thinking of imposing a lockdown in Bengaluru as the Covid-positivity rate is at 0.75 per cent. BBMP Chief Commissioner Gaurav Gupta has been given full powers and instructed to monitor Covid cases every day.

“Now, beds are vacant. If 40 per cent of oxygenated beds are occupied, the government will consider taking further action to control cases,’’ Bommai said. This time, the focus is on the health of children, as there is a fear that they would be affected the most during the Covid third wave.

Keep more beds, ICUs ready for kids, says CM

More beds and ICUs will be reserved for paediatric care, the Chief Minister said. All the people staying in villages that are 10 km from Maharashtra and Kerala borders will be monitored closely for any spike in cases. “I have instructed officials to test and vaccinate all these people in border villages,’’ he said.

The government will micromanage the Covid situation at the taluk level in border districts. Suitable action will be taken in taluks that report positivity rate higher than 2 per cent, even when the district is showing lower numbers, he said.

According to experts, the second wave is on the wane. But what is worrying is that even in its last leg, the numbers are high at 1,400 to 1,800 cases per day. “Towards the end of first wave, the State was reporting only around 200 cases per day. The present situation is way more alarming,” he warned.

The government is stressing on district-specific Covid action plan, as some have high positivity rate, some high number of deaths, while others have low testing and vaccination figures, he added. More testing and vaccination is needed in Chamarajanagar, Dakshina Kannada, Udupi, Mysuru, Hassan, Kodagu, Shivamogga and Chikkamagaluru districts, which continue to report a high number of Covid cases, he said.

On the Kerala government approaching the high court against the decision making RTPCR-negative certificate mandatory for those entering Karnataka, Bommai said, “Because of them, neighbouring states, including Karnataka, are suffering. It’s a matter of life and livelihood. Instead of approaching court, they should have focused on improving health infrastructure and controlling cases,” he added.

CM shuns zero traffic
In what comes as a huge relief to motorists in Bengaluru, CM Basavaraj Bommai has refused zerotraffic privileges for himself, asking the police to consider him as a “common man”, and ensure that ambulance movement is given priority.