Covid tests mandatory as Bengaluru colleges set to reopen

IANS

Bengaluru, 17 Nov 2020: Students and teachers with only negative Covid test results would be allowed to attend classes when degree colleges in the city reopen from Tuesday, an official said.

 

"As per the guidelines and standard operating procedure of the University Grants Commission (UGC) and the state government, students, teachers and staff will be allowed to enter the college only if their Covid test is negative," said Bruhat Bengaluru Mahangara Palika Commissioner N. Manjunatha Prasad in a statement here on Monday.

 

After dilly-dallying, the Karnataka government allowed state-run and private colleges to reopen from Tuesday after remaining shut for over seven months due to Covid-induced lockdown.

 

The state capital has 432 state-run and private colleges, with about 60,000 students, teachers and non-teaching staff.

 

"All students and teachers have to produce a certificate with negative result from a RT-PCR test, showing they are free from the infection," said Prasad.

 

Wearing of face masks, washing hands with sanitiser, and maintaining physical distance in classes and campuses are also mandatory for students, teachers and staff.

 

"Students staying in hostels in college campuses or outside in the city also have to undergo RT-PCR test for the virus before going for classes.

 

"The test result will be valid for 72 hours (3 days) in the absence of any Covid symptom. Students and faculty can take the test at any of the 141 urban primary health centres in 198 civic wards across the city," said Prasad.

 

The civic body has also deployed 450 mobile swab collection teams near colleges to conduct the Covid test.

 

Prasad said that they expect about 30 per cent of students to attend their colleges initially as many of them are wary of getting infected.

 

The students have also been given the option of attending classes online in case their parents are not ready to let them attend college.

 

Engineering and medical colleges in the state will reopen from December 1, while the state government has deferred reopening of schools till further notice.