Amaravati, Nov 3 (IANS): On a day when most government schools reopened for ninth and 10th standard students in Andhra Pradesh after five months, following Covid-19 interruption, less than 50 percent of students chose to attend classes amid the pandemic.

Sharing attendance statistics, Education Minister Adimulapu Suresh said only 39.6 percent ninth standard students attended classes and only 43.65 percent of students from the tenth standard.

As many as 99 percent of all the government high schools were opened on Monday, complying with the state government directives.

Likewise, 88 percent of teachers have also attended to their duties in the schools.

"In Nellore district, a watchman of AP Model School, Nandavaram, Marripadu Mandal and two students of zilla parishad high school (ZPHS), Pathavellanti of Nellore Mandal were tested as Covid positive," said Suresh.

However, attendance reports from tribal areas in Visakhapatnam district were not received.

There are around 60,000 schools, including aided, unaided and private ones, in the southern state.

Many private schools did not reopen on Monday.