MADIKERI: While the COVID positivity rate in Kodagu was below 1% for a week, it has now gone up after 33 students of a school tested positive for the virus.
The students are from Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya in Galibeedu of Madikeri taluk. The institution reopened on 20th September and students from across the district reported for the offline classes. However, five days after reporting to the school, two students from 10th grade developed symptoms of fever. They were taken to the hospital by the school management and tested for COVID-19. The results of the two students were positive.
“After this, all the students of 10th grade were isolated and later tested for COVID-19. Once the results of these students turned out negative, we restarted classes for the 10th grade,” confirmed Pankajaksh, the principal of the institution.
Nevertheless, a month after the incident, two more students developed symptoms of fever and tested positive.
“Following this, all the 279 students were made to undergo a COVID-19 test with the support of the district administration. Among these, 33 students tested positive and were shifted to the COVID Hospital in Madikeri. Most of them are asymptomatic,” he added. He confirmed that the COVID-positive students are in Classes 9-12 and are from within the district.
DHO Dr Venkatesh confirmed that the school management and faculty will also undergo COVID tests. He added that the parents of the COVID-positive students will also be tested.
While the positivity rate in the district stood at 0.19% on Tuesday, it rose to 1.21% on Wednesday.