03-06-2025
Schools reopen with Covid precautions as cases rise
Schools across the state reopened on Monday for the new academic year after the summer break, with health and education authorities implementing renewed precautionary measures due to a recent increase in Covid-19 cases in the state.
As students returned to classrooms, many were seen wearing masks along with teachers and staff members. The state government, anticipating the public health risk, had issued a circular last week stressing the need to follow Covid-19 safety protocols in all schools — government, aided, and unaided.
The health and family welfare commissioner, in the advisory, directed parents not to send their children to school if they exhibit symptoms such as fever, cough, or cold. The same applies to school staff — both teaching and non-teaching — who have been asked to take appropriate precautions if they are unwell.
'If children come to school with fever, cough, cold and other symptoms, inform their parents and send them back to home,' the circular from the health department said. 'If these symptoms are found among the school teachers and non-teaching staff, they should be advised to follow appropriate precautionary measures.'
The circular mandates strict adherence to Covid-19 appropriate behaviour (CAB), which includes regular hand hygiene, proper cough etiquette, and isolation of symptomatic individuals. Schools have been advised to immediately send home any student found with Covid-like symptoms, while ensuring that staff members also comply with hygiene protocols.
As of Sunday evening, Karnataka reported 253 active Covid-19 cases, with four deaths attributed to comorbid conditions since the beginning of the year.
In line with health directives, the department of school education and literacy (DSEL) has reiterated that symptomatic children should not be sent to school and should only return after receiving medical attention and full recovery. The commissioner of public instruction also issued a parallel advisory stating that children must attend school only after symptoms subside and that all schools must remain vigilant in implementing preventive measures.
General secretary of the associated managements of schools in Karnataka (KAMS) D Shashikumar said, 'For the safety of children, we have been instructed to follow Covid-19 precautionary measures in all schools under our organisation. Accordingly, all our schools have been sanitised. Parents have been advised not to send children with fever, cough and cold and other problems to schools. All the instructions issued by the government in this regard from time to time will be followed without fail.'
