Kodagu district still faces threat of Covid-19 pandemic

The threat of a high Covid-19 positivity rate is hanging like a sword over Kodagu district.

As a result, the schools are yet to reopen in the district for classes nine to twelve. In such a scenario, the schoolchildren are pondering about the state of their studies.

The district shares its border with Kerala, where the Covid-19 cases are on the rise.

The department of public instruction has decided not to start schools until the district’s positivity rates decline.

“The schools have reopened in other districts. We have to depend on online classes. By the time our classes commence the syllabus will have been completed in other districts,” feel many students.

Kodagu is a hilly district where the students face severe problems in getting network connections, which hinders the online classes. As a result, the demand for physical classes has increased.

“It is not right to close down the schools when tourists are allowed to enter into the district. To check the Covid-19 positivity rate, there is a need to check the inflow of tourists. The district administration should initiate steps to start schools,” said parents.

Further, middlemen have been getting labourers from outside the state to work in coffee plantations. No one bothers to check the credentials of their vaccination tests or Covid-19 report. Labourers from outside the state have been arriving in Suntikoppa, Gonikoppa and Virajpet to work in plantations. The residents are apprehensive about the spread of the infection.

Meanwhile, Kodagu Pravasodyama Avalambitara Okkuta has been demanding authorities to lift the weekend curfew imposed in the district.

In a meeting convened at a resort in Gonikoppa, federation president K K Manjunath said that tourists are denied entry in the name of the Covid-19 pandemic. This in turn will have an impact on 33,000 people who are dependent on the tourism sector for livelihood.

“We have to learn to live with Covid-19,” he said.

Kodagu DDPI Sridharan said, “We are ready to reopen schools. The chief minister will convene a meeting on August 30 to decide on school reopening.”

Recent Covid trend

Date Positivity rate

Aug 18 1.74%

Aug 19 2.95%

Aug 21 1.22%

Aug 22 1.44 %

Aug 23 2.77 %