Updated: November 23, 2020 3:05:07 pm
CM BS Yediyurappa is holding a meeting with Education Minister S Suresh Kumar, Chief Secretary TM Vijay Bhaskar and the heads of various departments in Bengaluru today. Photo Express
Karnataka’s government decided on Monday not to reopen schools and pre-university colleges on December 1. According to Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa, the government “will review the Covid-19 situation during the third week of December” to decide when to resume offline classes.
“Experts have recommended that a decision not be made on the reopening of PU schools and universities until the end of December. Then an appropriate decision will be made, ”said Yediyurappa in Bengaluru. The CM had convened a meeting with the Minister of Primary and Secondary Education S Suresh Kumar, the Chief Secretary TM Vijay Bhaskar and the heads of various departments related to it before announcing the decision. Health and Medical Education Minister K Sudhakar joined the online meeting and expressed his opinion on the Covid-19 technical advisory committee (TAC) recommendations.
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Previously, the TAC had recommended not to reopen schools on December 1. “After extensive deliberation, it was unanimously resolved ‘not to reopen schools in December.’ However, the COVID-19 scenario in the state will be reviewed in the last week of December to consider reopening schools at an appropriate time thereafter, ”said a statement released by TAC.
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Explaining the factors behind the decision, epidemiologist Dr. Giridhar R Babu, a MAH member who was also among the serosurvey’s team of principal investigators, told Indianexpress.com that the state has yet to determine strong evidence on the descending peak. “We have not yet discovered the effect that the festival season could have had on the Covid-19 situation in Karnataka. The likely shift in cases from the Bengaluru urban conglomerate to other districts should also be determined to recommend the reopening of safe schools for all, ”he said.
However, the committee noted that the current COVID-19 scenario in the state shows a downward trend with around 1,700 cases and 20 deaths reported daily. “It is important to consolidate this progress that has been achieved after great efforts in the last eight months to contain the disease in the state,” observed members of the committee.
Dr. Babu added that the TAC, meanwhile, will continue to monitor and review Covid-19 data from across the state. “By improving the recommended tests in areas where a surge is likely to occur in the coming days, we will be able to get a clearer picture.”
Meanwhile, another high-ranking member of the committee said: “While children are often said to be in the low-risk category, the possibility of transmitting the infection to parents and grandparents at home cannot be denied. Improving the health facilities available in North Karnataka to offer ICU and related services in greater numbers in such situations can also be a burden on the health system. “
At the same time, D Shashikumar, general secretary of the Associated Administrations of Primary and Secondary Schools of Karnataka (KAMS) suggested that the government should study his recommendations to resume offline classes for students in class 9 and above. “The government should consider issuing full standard operating procedures to safely implement them.”
He added: “There are several topics including minimum admissions, the balance of the fee that parents must pay from the previous academic year, and clarification from the government on various topics. While most private schools have been offering classes online since June, most parents haven’t paid any fees citing various government orders. This has put management under a great financial burden. “
Earlier on Sunday, Health Minister Sudhakar said the state government could shut down undergraduate, engineering and diploma universities again if Covid-19 cases spike again. The universities were reopened on November 17 after eight months of closure due to the coronavirus-induced lockdown.
“If the cases increase, then, as you have said in your (media) reports, we will have to go close once more. There is no alternative, ”Sudhakar told reporters in Dharwad while answering questions about the increase in coronavirus cases among students.
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