Nearly 500 children tested positive for COVID-19 this month in Bangalore

Bangalore:

The capital of Karnataka, Bangalore, is seeing a huge increase in COVID-19 numbers and children are not spared from this increase. According to data released Tuesday night, of the nearly 2,000 positive cases, 50 were children under the age of 10. Around 500 children have tested positive for the highly contagious virus so far this month.

The city corporation, however, says there is no real increase in cases among the youngest.

“Since March 1, we have tested almost 32,000 students. Of these, only 121 tested positive, only 0.38 percent (of total cases). Therefore, we can clearly say that children are not infected in large quantities in Bangalore, “Manjunath Prasad, the outgoing Commissioner of Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), told NDTV.

He said that the group that is being affected in the city is between “20 and 40 years old.”

The reopening of schools for some grades makes the situation different from last year when cases spiked in the first wave. At that time, there was a blockade and schools were closed. Also, children are away from home now more frequently compared to the days of the lockdown.

Karnataka’s chief minister, BS Yediyurappa, had made it clear that despite the increase in numbers, schools would remain open.

“If the children come to school they will be in one place with discipline. If they are at home they will be mixing with everyone. It is good that the schools continue from the control point of view. The exams will take place in 15 days,” he said Mr. Yediyurappa.

Mr. Prasad felt the same. “The situation does not justify closing schools for now,” he said.

However, not all students and parents are convinced.

Kanchana was picking up her son from school when she told NDTV: “It is better to close the school, we must take care of ourselves. And there are older people at home.”

Viriksha, a student, said: “In our school, social distancing is not maintained. There are more cases of corona and they are not being evaluated either.”

With Covid protocols not always observed, everyone is vulnerable, and that includes the younger members of our society.