MADIKERI: Kodagu district administration officials have been ordered to bring the COVID positivity rate in the district to below 2% to enable reopening of schools above 9th grade. However, children make up over 62% of active COVID cases in the district, leaving parents worried over the potential reopening of schools.
The district has 569 active COVID cases as on Monday. This includes 358 active cases from the age group 0 to 18 years – adding up to 62.91% of the total active cases. Experts have advised against reopening of schools in the district. However, only the expert committee in the state has the authority to decide on the issue.
Somwarpet taluk has 242 active COVID cases in the age group 0 to 18 years and Virajpet taluk has 53 active cases in the same age group, while Madikeri taluk has 63. According to the data available from the health department, most cases have been reported in the age group from 11 to 18 years.
“The district has an increased number of active cases in this age group and starting schools for these kids will be disastrous. I will not send my child to school until I feel it is completely safe to do so,” said Dechamma, a resident of Madikeri. While no deaths have been reported in this age group, the cases have increased drastically in the recent past. Till date, Kodagu has reported 3273 positive cases in the 0 to 18 years age group – the highest being reported from Somwarpet taluk that has recorded 1576 cases till date.