211 teachers test positive after schools reopen in Karnataka

News Network

January 9, 2021

Bengaluru, Jan 9: As many as 211 teachers in the state have tested positive for the novel Coronavirus after schools in Karnataka reopened last week.

The number touched 236 after several non-teaching staff also tested positive. The government had mandated that all teaching and non-teaching staff must undergo a COVID-19 test before educational institutions reopened, according to health officials.

In Uttara Kannada district, 20 people, including teachers and non-teaching staff have tested positive for the coronavirus while in Belagavi 19 teachers and six non-teaching staff tested positive. In Shivamogga, Hassan and Mandya Districts, a total of 39 teachers have tested positive for the Pandemic. In Tumakuru, Mysuru, Chamrajnagar and Gadag, as many as 45 teachers have tested positive along with two non-teaching staff.

However, in Chikkaballapur, Bellary and Madhugiri Districts, none of the teaching or non-teaching staff members are affected. Schools for class 10th and 12th reopened on January 1 after about a nine-month break due to lockdown imposed following the spread of Coronavirus in March 2020.

The students were allowed to enter the schools after undergoing temperature checks, wearing face masks and sanitisation of their hands. Students who wished to attend classes in school were also asked to carry letters of consent from their parents.

Regular classes for Class 11 students are expected to resume from January 15. The Vidyagama scheme for students of Classes 6 to 9 is also expected to resume shortly. Schools were reopened under directions of a Technical Advisory Committee and Health Department.

Meanwhile, after a gap of nine months since the coronavirus induced lockdown, regular classes for first and second-year college students would resume after January 14. Announcing this by Deputy Chief Minister Dr CN Ashwath Narayan, who holds the Higher Education portfolio, asked the Vice Chancellors of government and private Universities, senior officials of several departments, including that of higher education, to suggest a date for resumption of the classes.

The Vice-Chancellors attended a meeting convened by him yesterday and all of them were unanimous that the government should start the offline classes. Mr Narayan asked them to suggest a date and based on their submission, the date to start classes would be announced. This applies to first and second-year students of degree, post-graduation, diploma and engineering.

The offline or regular classes for Class 10, second-year pre-university, final-year degree and postgraduate students have already started and are running successfully. By taking this success into account, it has been decided to open the remaining classes also, he said.

Regarding the students’ bus passes, Mr Narayan said the confusion would be cleared soon by discussing with another Deputy Chief Minister Laxman Savadi, who holds the transport portfolio.

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No cases yet, but vigilance high: Karnataka braces for Nipah threat

News Network

February 3,2026

Bengaluru: Following reports of fresh Nipah virus (NiV) cases in West Bengal and heightened vigilance across parts of Southeast Asia, the Karnataka Health Department has placed the state on high alert and activated emergency preparedness protocols.

Health officials said enhanced surveillance measures have been initiated after two healthcare workers in Barasat, West Bengal, tested positive for the virus earlier this month. While no cases have been reported in Karnataka so far, authorities said the state’s past exposure to Nipah outbreaks and high inter-state mobility warranted preventive action.

Officials have directed district health teams to intensify monitoring, particularly at hospitals and points of entry, and to ensure early detection and isolation of suspected cases.

High Mortality Virus with Multiple Transmission Routes

Nipah virus is a zoonotic disease that can spread from animals to humans and has a reported fatality rate ranging between 60 and 75 per cent. Fruit bats, also known as flying foxes, are the natural reservoirs of the virus and can transmit it by contaminating food sources with saliva or urine.

Known modes of transmission include:

•   Contaminated food: Consumption of fruits partially eaten by bats or raw date-palm sap
•   Animal contact: Exposure to infected pigs or other animals
•   Human-to-human transmission: Close contact with body fluids of infected persons, particularly in healthcare settings

Symptoms and Disease Progression

The incubation period typically ranges from 4 to 14 days, though delayed onset has also been reported. Early symptoms often resemble common viral infections, making prompt clinical suspicion critical.

•   Initial symptoms: Fever, headache, body aches, fatigue, sore throat
•   Progressive symptoms: Drowsiness, disorientation, altered mental state
•   Severe stage: Seizures, neck stiffness and acute encephalitis, which can rapidly progress to coma

Public Health Advisory

The Health Department has issued precautionary guidelines urging the public to adopt risk-avoidance practices to prevent any local spillover.

Do’s
•   Wash fruits thoroughly before consumption
•   Drink boiled and cooled water
•   Use protective equipment while handling livestock
•   Maintain strict hand hygiene

Don’ts
•   Avoid fruits found on the ground or showing bite marks
•   Do not consume beverages made from raw tree sap, including toddy
•   Avoid areas with dense bat populations
•   Do not handle sick or dead animals

Preparedness Measures

Officials confirmed that isolation wards are being readied in major government hospitals and that medical staff are being sensitised to identify early warning signs.

“There is no cause for panic, but there is a need for heightened vigilance,” a senior health official said, adding that there is currently no approved vaccine or specific antiviral treatment for Nipah, and care remains largely supportive.

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