The third wave of the Covid pandemic has already begun in India, and cases all across the country are rising drastically over the past few days. Kerala is one of those states that is facing the heat of the Covid pandemic. On Tuesday, the state witnessed a massive surge in fresh infections. In the last 24 hours, Kerala reported over 9,000 fresh cases, and the daily test positivity rate (TPR) is now an alarming 14.18 percent.
Colleges in Kerala are operating with 100 people in one class
Until last month, colleges in Kerala had embraced a hybrid model of education, which means both offline and online classes were provided to students. However, as the state showed signs of flattening the Covid chaos curve, colleges completely switched to offline mode, and online classes were completely dismissed.
But now, amid rising infections, several colleges in Kerala have not started providing online learning facilities for students. Citing an example, the Government Law College in Thrissur is now functioning with 100 percent attendance. Shockingly, there are 100 students in a batch, and all these students are sitting inside single classrooms.
"We do not know when our classroom will turn to a Covid cluster. On Monday, there were 79 students in our classroom. Around six people were sitting on a bench capable to accommodate just four students. If Covid spreads in our class, who will take responsibility," said a final year LLB student who wished to stay anonymous.
Hybrid mode: The need of the hour
It should be noted that the Kerala government had tightened restrictions due to the Covid outbreak on Monday. The government is not permitting more than 50 people for gatherings, and it is during these times that educational institutions like Government Law College, Thrissur are functioning with 100 people in one single classroom.
Moreover, in a press conference, Kerala Health Minister Veena George also revealed that Covid cases in the state are rising drastically. The minister also requested people to follow strict Covid safety guidelines to combat the spread of the pandemic.
