Schools Re-Open In Nashik; 62 Teachers Test Covid-19 Positive

As schools re-opened in Maharashtra's Nashik on Monday, 62 teachers have tested positive for Covid-19 before resuming duties, officials said. 

Students in classes 9 to 12 went back to schools after a gap of nine months, as 846 schools out of the 1,324 in rural and city parts started classes on Monday.

An official release stated that RT-PCR tests of 7,603 headmasters and teachers, along with 2,500 non-teaching staff were conducted prior to the resumption of academic routine. Out of these, 62 teachers/headmasters tested positive. 

As per the current Covid guidelines, the schools are operating at 50 per cent capacity. Half the students will attend the school on one day and the remaining half will come the next day, according to the release. 

The schools are also employing measures such as thermal scanning, sanitisation, using masks, hand sanitisers, and social distance regulations for teachers, staff, and students. 

Earlier yesterday, two teachers tested positive in Aurangabad district as schools re-opened for classes 9 and 10 there.  While permitting the reopening of schools for Classes 9 and 10, which have been shut since March last year following the outbreak of Covid-19, the Aurangabad Municipal Corporation has made coronavirus test mandatory for teachers.

Ajay Nilangekar, a senior teacher from a private school here, said students came to attend classes in good numbers in the morning.

"We have almost one-third strength on the first day. The classes will take place for four hours every day.

Sanitisation of the premises is done before the school starts and will be done again after the classes are over," he said.

Bihar also resumed schools and colleges from yesterday amid Covid guidelines in place. Odisha government will re-open schools for Class 10 and 12 students from January 8.