Mangaluru: As many as 331 school students and teachers have tested positive for the SARS-CoV-2 virus as on Thursday. However, the majority of them have mild symptoms or are asymptomatic, and none of them have been hospitalised.

According to data available, out of the 331 people who tested positive, 228 of them are students, and the rest are teachers. Dakshina Kannada DDPI Sudhakar K said that a majority of the cases were reported in composite schools, that have both a primary school and high school on one campus.

He said that every taluk has reported positive cases among students. The highest number of cases were reported in Mangaluru taluk, followed by Bantwal and Puttur. “All the students and teachers who tested positive are doing fine. They are either asymptomatic or have mild symptoms,” said Sudhakar.

Though Covid-19 cases are increasing, only a few people are coming forward to get tested, said Sudhakar. “Parents are not encouraging their children to get tested. As a result, many are taking over-the-counter medicines, whenever they have fever or other symptoms of Covid-19,” said Sudhakar.

As on Friday, a total 12 schools across the district have been closed, as they reported more than five Covid-19 cases each. “A few schools have been closed as a precautionary measure. An aided school in Bondel was closed, and is holding online classes. Meanwhile, during our recent video conference meeting, we have asked the schools to take decisions on their own, to switch to the online mode of teaching. The DDPI’s office has informed schools that they can switch to the online mode of teaching, whenever they decide to, and need not wait for the government’s permission for the same,” he said.

On the complete closure of schools across the district, Sudhakar said that there is no plan to do the same now. “We may shut down schools, only if the condition is not favourable to run schools. At the moment, there is no need to panic,” he said.

9.6k between 15-17 yet to get first jab

Sudhakar gave detials about the vaccination of children aged between 15 to 17, and said that as many as 9,616 of them are yet to receive their first jab, as on Thursday. The target was to vaccinate 55,298 beneficiaries in this age group. So far, 45,682 of them have received their first dose of the vaccine to protect against Covid-19.