Govt Releases New Guidelines for Reopening of Schools As Covid Cases Dip | Check Details Here

Revised guidelines for health&safety protocols for reopening of schools&learning with social distancing state: Education Ministry said

New Delhi: As the Covid third wave wanes in several states of the country, the Centre on Thursday announced a new set of health and safety SOPs that will need to be followed by the state governments for welcoming students back to school. “Revised guidelines for health and safety protocols for reopening of schools and learning with social distancing state-States to decide whether schools required to take consent of students’ parents for attending physical classes, group activities to be done as per SOPs,” the Education Ministry said.

The ministry also informed that the schools are fully open in 11 states and closed in 9.

The schools in West Bengal were reopened from today, February 3 for classes 8 to 12. For students of classes 10 and 12 who are set to appear for the board exams this year, the government has allowed all practical and theoretical classes. Teaching and non-teaching staff were allowed to join schools from February 2.

The Maharashtra State Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education (MSBSHSE) also confirmed that Maharashtra Board Exams 2022 for both classes 10 and 12 will be held in offline (pen and paper) mode. In the wake of rising COVID-19 cases, speculations were rife that Maharashtra HSC exams and SSC exams 2022 will be conducted in online, however, the board officials while addressing a presser today clarified that both examinations will be conducted in pen and paper mode as scheduled before.

Earlier, the Center informed that 34 States in the country are recording a decline in Covid cases and positivity rate. However, the government also noted that the states like Kerala and Mizoram are witnessing an increase in the number of cases and positivity.

While addressing the media, the Union Health Ministry further said, “The present data indicates that unlike evidence during earlier Covid surge, with the current variant surgery is safe & not associated with higher chances of complications or deaths in Covid positive patients. These patients who need surgery need not be denied it.”