Mangaluru :  Students studying in classes 8 to 10 will commence in Dakshina Kannada district from September 17.

The offline classes for students in classes 6 and 7 will resume from September 20.

Chairing a meeting, Deputy Commissioner Dr Rajendra K V said that schools should compulsorily adhere to Covid-19 guidelines like wearing masks and maintaining social distancing when classes resume. The DC has directed authorities to take steps to resume I PU classes as well.

“About 99 per cent of teachers and non-teaching staff in the district’s schools have been vaccinated. Currently, 261 children are undergoing treatment for Covid-19 infection,” the DC said. He added that authorities should initiate measures to trace contacts of the infected children.

Schools should continue online classes parallelly and consent letters from parents should be collected before allowing children to attend offline classes, he said.

About students from Kerala, the DC said that they should be asked to stay in hostels or should be made to attend online classes. Covid tests should be conducted on teachers and school staff from time to time. The institutions should monitor students and ensure that parents of children attending classes have no symptoms of Covid-19. Schools should provide basic facilities including toilets before the commencement of offline classes, the DC added.