GADAG : Five schools in Gadag have been shut for a week after 10 teachers tested positive for Covid-19 recently.
In this backdrop, other teachers, parents and students are demanding that schools stay shut for some more time and online classes continue.
On Saturday, four schools in Gadag and one school in Naragund sent their students back after receiving the news from the health department.
Nine teachers from Gadag town and one from Naragund are under home quarantine and health officials are tracing their primary and secondary contacts.
Some teachers are worried as many teachers had flouted norms during the tests.
Last week, 6,939 teachers gave their samples for testing. Many of them tested negative, but, 274 teachers are yet to get their reports.
People were relieved when the number of cases in the district declined with no deaths reported in the past 75 days.
However, with the teachers testing positive, parents have sarted panicking with many insisting that online classes continue this year as well.
Siddharth Chinchali, a parent from Gadag, said, “It is a question of our children’s health. We do not want to take any chances. We want online online classes to continue until the vaccine is available.”
Gadag Deputy Director of Public Instruction B M Basalingappa said that they have declared holidays for a week for the five schools.
“All five schools were sanitised on Saturday and we await the health department officials’ instructions on reopening of these schools. Parents and students should not panic,” he said.
