575 students & 829 teachers test +ve after schools reopen in Andhra Pradesh

Nov. 5: Schools  in Andhra Pradesh reopened after eight months on Monday. However, just three days after reopening of schools in the state, at least 575 students and 829 teachers have tested positive for Covid-19. The figures are expected to rise as a total of 70,790 teachers and 95,763 students have undergone RT-PCR tests and most Covid-19 results are awaited.

According to School Education Department officials, out of 1,89,148 teachers who turned up at the schools in the last three days, tests were conducted on 70,790 teachers till now and 829 tested positive for Covid-19. Similarly, tests were conducted on 95,763 students of Class 9 and 10, out of 3,92,000 students who attended the classes in the last three days. Out of them, 575 students tested positive.

School Education Commissioner V Chinna Veerabhadrudu said that this is not a very alarming number and most of them are asymptomatic. Despite the rising number of cases, the state government said it will continue operating schools.

All government schools and colleges in Andhra Pradesh reopened from November 2 for classes 9, 10 and intermediate. Classes 9 and 10 and Intermediate first and second year would function on alternate days only for half-a-day. Classes 6, 7 and 8 would begin on November 23 while classes 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 would start from December 14.