BAGALKOT/VIJAYAPURA: After a teacher deputed on Secondary School Leaving Certificate (SSLC) board examination duty tested positive for COVID-19, at least 50 people are at risk of the virus including 20 teachers and 20 students in Bagalkot.
The 40-year-old, who is infected with COVID-19, of Government High School Hallur of Bagalkot, was assigned the duty of supervisor for the SSLC board examination for external students in Adarsha Mahavidyalaya at Bagalkot for the English subject on June 25.
After the examinations she developed symptoms and voluntarily went under COVID-19 test at the government hospital. As soon as her result was out as positive, the authorities have put at least 20 teachers and other staff, who worked with her on the first day of the board examination, in home quarantine.
Meanwhile, the District Health authorities in association with the Department of Public Instructions (DPI) have identified 18 students who wrote the exam in the same hall where the 40-year-old teacher was assigned to supervise.
The health authorities have collected the samples of all the students and teachers and are waiting for the results.
Speaking to The New Indian Express, Srishail Biradar, Deputy Director of DPI pointed out, “The 18 students were allowed to appear for the examinations as the medical reports of the same are yet to arrive. They were made to write exam in separate halls.
After a total of 20 teachers came in contact with the infected person, we have changed the entire team and assigned new staff for the examination duty for precaution. The teachers have been told to be in home quarantine for the next two weeks.”
Apart from teacher – two students that appeared for SSLC board examinations from containment zones in Kaladagi town have tested positive in Bagalkot. With this a total of three students that registered for the board examinations have been infected with COVID-19 in the district.
The students are being treated at designated hospitals, where they will not be allowed to appear for the remaining board examinations.
As many as seven students were made to write examinations in separate exam halls at the same centre as the health authorities found that the students were suffering from cold and cough during thermal screening in Bagalkot.
Students fail to turn-up
The students in twin districts continue to remain absent for the board examination in large numbers as a whopping 2,157 and 1,132 students remained absent for Science paper in Vijayapura and Bagalkot respectively.
In Vijayapura a total of 35,775 students registered for the board exams, where 33,618 students appeared for the exam held on June 29. A total of 28,414 out of 29,546 appeared for the exam in Bagalkot on Tuesday.
Malpractice
A 16-year-old student indulged in malpractice has been debarred at P B High School examination centre in Jamkhandi. He is the first to get debarred in SSLC board exams this year in Bagalkot.