S Africa-England ODI delayed again after more COVID-19 cases
Cape Town: The first one-day international between South Africa and England has been delayed again after more COVID-19 cases were identified at the teams' hotel in Cape Town, this time among hotel staff members.
Cricket South Africa and the England and Wales Cricket Board said in a joint statement that Sunday's game in the nearby city of Paarl was being delayed while England players and management wait for results of a new round of COVID-19 tests.
They didn't say how long the delay might be.
The first of three ODIs had already been postponed from Friday after a South African player tested positive for the virus on the eve of the game, the third home player to test positive during England's tour. That test caused concern among both squads because the player seemingly contracted COVID-19 while in the secure bio-bubble at the Cape Town hotel where both teams are staying.
South Africa's team doctor said there was an investigation underway to try and track how that South African player was infected.
The delay to Sunday's game came after two hotel staff members tested positive, causing the England party to undergo a round of additional tests on Saturday night, the ECB said. The results were yet to be received but any more positives among players might cause the remainder of the tour to be called off.
South Africa's squad had to undergo additional tests after the latest player positive that caused the first postponement. All the remaining South African players returned negative tests on Saturday, Cricket South Africa said.
Of the three South African players who have tested positive for the virus during England's tour, which began in mid-November, two of them tested positive while in the secure environment. One before the three-game Twenty20 series and the latest last week before the ODIs. The first player returned a positive test before both teams went into a 10-day quarantine period at the Cape Town hotel they are sharing ahead of the games.
England's six-game limited-overs tour was organized at short notice to fill gaps in both teams' schedules created by the virus pandemic but it also comes while South Africa is seeing signs of a second surge of the virus.
All six games are being played in Cape Town and nearby Paarl to limit travel for players and officials. But the Western Cape province, where they are playing, is one of the regions in South Africa that's seeing a worrying increase in virus cases.
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Only teachers can transform individuals into extraordinary citizens: CM Siddaramaiah
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Saturday said that only teachers have the power to transform ordinary individuals into extraordinary citizens and urged them to focus on building a better society.
Inaugurating the State-level Educational Mega Conference and Golden Jubilee celebrations of the Karnataka State Primary School Teachers' Association at Tripura Vasini, Palace Grounds, he said teachers are the architects of the nation's future.
"At the time of Independence, the literacy rate was only 12 to 15 per cent. Today it has risen to 74 per cent. We must ask whether we are providing quality education that responds to social issues. This is not the fault of teachers. Because of the deeply rooted caste system, we have not been able to bring about the expected transformation in education," he said.
Emphasising the need for scientific and rational education, he said the Constitution envisages responsible development of individuals through such learning.
"Society is still bound by caste, superstition and regressive practices. Education must help eliminate these," he said, adding that inequality must end for all sections to join the mainstream.
"Only teachers can impart rational and scientific education. Only teachers have the power to transform ordinary people into extraordinary individuals," he said, recalling Mahatma Gandhi's view that development is possible only when intellect, compassion and skill come together.
He urged teachers to discharge their constitutional duties. "Accept ideas only after questioning and reasoning. Teach children to do the same," he said.
Assuring that teachers' demands would be addressed in phases, he said one lakh teachers were recruited when he was the finance minister in the past and that the Sixth and Seventh Pay Commissions had been implemented.
"We will discuss the Old Pension Scheme (OPS) in the Cabinet and arrive at a decision," he said.
Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar, speaking at the conference, called upon teachers to prepare students not just to learn history but to create it.
"You are not just nurturing children; you are nurturing society itself. The joy you feel when your students rise to great heights cannot be matched," he said.
He urged teachers to ensure that the quality of education available in Bengaluru reaches every school.
"To realise dreams, children need hard work, commitment and discipline. The foundation laid at the primary level lasts a lifetime," he said.
Announcing measures to strengthen rural education, he said Rs 8,000 crore to Rs 10,000 crore of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) funds would be utilised to improve infrastructure in government schools in villages.
"Migration of children to cities for education must stop. Private schools have been advised to adopt government schools. Through this, we aim to fill 90,000 teaching posts," he said.
Noting that over one lakh teaching posts were vacant, he said approval had recently been given to fill 56,000 posts out of 2.5 lakh vacancies after detailed Cabinet discussions.
He also assured that land would be allotted for the teachers' association building subject to availability and sought teachers' cooperation in booth-level electoral work, stating that their role in ensuring fairness was crucial.
