After reopening schools in Odisha, 31 teachers and students have tested positive for Covid-19

After the schools in Odisha have been reopened for the conduction of regular classes, 31 students and teachers from the Gajapati district have been tested positive for Covid-19, stated Dr Pradeep Kumar Patra, Chief District Medical Officer on Sunday.

The schools in Odisha has been closed since March and were reopened on January 8 for students of classes 10 and 12, nearly 10 months after being shut down. The schools in the state were reopened with several Covid-19 safety protocols.

"As many as 31 new infections detected in the district. Among them 90 percent are teachers and they would be barred from attending schools," said Dr Patra, as per ANI reports.
The schools in several other states have also been reopened from January 2021 for higher classes. This decision has been taken to help



students prepare for the upcoming board exams with the help of classroom studies.

As per the guidelines set by the state government of Odisha, all school students and teachers had to undergo a Covid-19 test before the schools resume proper functioning. This step has been taken to reduce the risk of infection among citizens.

"All the teachers underwent COVID-19 tests as per the standard operating procedure before the reopening of the schools. Two students have also tested positive for the coronavirus," Dr Patra further added.

As per the decision of the Odisha Government, students of Classes 10 and 12 are to attend classes non-stop for 100 days, except Saturdays and Sundays for Board examination preparation. Students have, however, been asked to attend classes with their parents' prior approval.